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A comparison of the performance and behaviour of growing pigs housed in straw yards or fully-slatted pens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2017

J.H. Guy
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
P. Rowlinson
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
J.P. Chadwick
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
M. Ellis
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, University of Illinois, 61801, United States of America
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Extract

With increasing concern over animal welfare, straw yards are being re-evaluated as a less-intensive system of rearing pigs. Typically they may comprise an open span building with minimal environmental control and deep straw bedding for the thermal and behavioural needs of the animals. This contrasts with many intensive buildings which would have some degree of climatic control and fully-slatted concrete floors with no bedding of any kind. The aim of this experiment was to compare the performance and behaviour of growing-finishing pigs in straw yards with a fully-slatted building. The two systems are outlined in Table 1.

Type
Pig Housing and Welfare
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1994

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