Drinking behaviour in sows kept outdoors during the winter months
In the light of the EU regulation, “pigs must have permanent access to a sufficient quantity of fresh water” and the practical problems it provides farmers during winter to keep water free of ice, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of periods with frost on the diurnal pattern of water intake […]
The effect of overgrown claws on behaviour and claw abnormalities of sows in farrowing crates
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of overgrowth of the weight bearing claws on the behaviour of sows in farrowing crates. The study used 24 multiparous lactating sows, 13 with overgrown (OG) rear claws and 11 controls. Sows were video recorded continuously from approximately 12 h before farrowing in order to […]
Does housing influence maternal behaviour in sows?
Farrowing crates prevent sows during lactation from moving freely and interacting unrestrictedly with their piglets. The aim of this study was to compare sows during lactation in a group-housing system (GH; n = 23) and sows in a conventional single-housing system (SH; n = 24) with regard to their maternal behaviour. GH sows were only […]