Preference for and behavioural response to environmental enrichment in a small population of sexually mature, commercial boars
An increasing public concern over the welfare of livestock species is motivating more producers to consider changes to production practices. Providing environmental enrichment for intensively housed animals is one such potentially welfare-enhancing change. The goal of environmental enrichment is to provide biologically relevant environmental stimuli that allows an animal to perform highly motivated, species-specific behaviours. […]
Behavior, production results and meat quality of intact boars and gilts housed in unmixed groups: A comparative study
Surgical castration of male pigs is a practice that will probably be abandoned in Europe in the future because of general protest against pain in animals and a growing concern on (farm) animal welfare. Rearing entire males will therefore inevitably be integrated in the pig sector. In the present study, possible differences in behavior, production […]