How attractive must be the objects given to the pigs during post-weaning and fattening periods ?
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Auteurs :
Courboulay V, Thuard A
Poster. Previous studies indicate that a prototype “toy” object (T) consisting of six plastic pipes fixed on the floor remains attractive throughout the fattening period. An experiment was designed to test this attractiveness during the post-weaning period, in comparison with a hanging metal chain (C), available at snout level. 255 four weeks old piglets were housed in groups of 20 to 22 in twelve pens. Half the pens received two toys and the other ones two chains. Five weeks later (week 5), 20 pigs from each pen were transferred to two fattening pens provided with a chain or a toy. Social and object related behaviours were observed using scan sampling (10 minutes interval) for two 2h30 periods through video recordings (post-weaning stage – three observations) or direct observations (fattening stage- six observations). Lesion scoring (scratches, tail and ear lesions) was carried out on half of the animals in weeks 5, 7, 13 and 16. Piglets spent 10.9% and 1.9% of the observations in toy and chain manipulation, respectively (p
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Titre :
How attractive must be the objects given to the pigs during post-weaning and fattening periods ?
Date sortie / parution :
2008
Référence :
Journées de la Recherche Porcine (Fra), 2008, Vol.40, poster
Auteur
Ingénieur d’étude - Experte en bien-être animal en élevage