Influence of social Status on the Welfare of Sows in Static and Dynamic Groups
Forty-eight Large Whitex Landrace multiparous sows were mixed into twelve groups of four animals after their piglets were weaned. These groups were defined as static, with no animals being added to or removed from the groups after their formation. Aggressive and submissive behaviours were recorded continuously for 9 h after the sows were mixed, and […]
The effect of increasing dietary fibre and the provision of straw racks on the welfare of sows housed in small static groups
This study assessed the effects of increasing dietary fibre levels in concentrate rations and providing access to straw in racks on the welfare of pregnant sows housed in small static groups. In a 2 × 2 factorial design experiment, 128 Large White × Landrace pregnant sows were offered one of two diets: (i) High fibre […]