Formation of teat order and estimation of piglets’ distribution along the mammary complex using mid-domain effect (MDE) model
Domestic piglets (Sus scrofa domesticus) establish relatively stable teat order after the first week postpartum. Formation of teat order is normally accompanied by intense competition between littermates. In this period, piglets’ behaviour and their distribution along the mammary complex is subject to various external influences. In the present study, time-dependent changes of suckling pattern in […]
Gangs of piglets: Welfare and growth of imprinted and guided weaners
Weaning stress accompanied by outburst of aggression is a critical point in pig production as it compromises piglets’ welfare and leads to poor growth rate and health problems. Therefore, a weaning methods to smoothen the lactation–weaning transition are of great importance. In the present study a simple practical approach based on the imprinting phenomenon to […]