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An assessment of pig welfare in very large groups of weaned pigs from outdoor systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

A. Xalabarder
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, University of Aberdeen, 581 King Street, Aberdeen, AB9 1UD
J.A. Roden
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, University of Aberdeen, 581 King Street, Aberdeen, AB9 1UD
P.R. English
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, University of Aberdeen, 581 King Street, Aberdeen, AB9 1UD
O. McPherson
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, University of Aberdeen, 581 King Street, Aberdeen, AB9 1UD
A. Head
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, University of Aberdeen, 581 King Street, Aberdeen, AB9 1UD
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Extract

A common method of housing newly weaned pigs from outdoor systems involves very large groups in straw-bedded pens. Concerns regarding pig welfare on these systems have been expressed in relation to excessive group size, the risk of hypothermia (no supplementary heating), disease challenge and the competition to which smaller piglets are subjected. Accordingly, indices of welfare (health, mortality, behaviour, growth rate and feed efficiency) were monitored in 2 large groups of newly weaned pigs.

Type
Pig Welfare & Ruminant Welfare
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 1995

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