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Swine welfare
Welcome to the page about Swine welfare of Engormix; a source of knowledge on Swine welfare.
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Steve Pollmann (independent consultant, DSP Consulting) discusses spacing, summer weight loss, castration and feed costs, in this Engormix interview....
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Steve Pollmann (independent consultant, DSP Consulting) discusses housing, weaning age, heat stress and sow mortality rates, among other aspects, in this Engormix interview....
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Katherine Vande Pol (University of Illinois) talked about her research on spacing alternatives during gestation and how it impacts the feeding system, during this Swine It interview with host Laura Greiner....
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Introduction: PRRSV leads to huge economic losses for the swine industry worldwide. Availability of simple, easy-to-use and accurate collection methods and laboratory tests are crucial for efficient PRRS diagnosis and monitoring. Blood sampling is currently the most frequently used method in the field for these purposes. A welfare friendly collection method, namely oral fluid (OF), has recently gained interest in the field as an alternative technique to blood sample....
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Introduction: Slaughter line observations can be included in breeding values of breeding pigs to enhance animal welfare. By monitoring lesions/remarks on joints, lungs, hearts and other parts of the carcasses, clear differences between farms and individual pigs can be demonstrated. Lesions like bursitis, pericarditis and pneumonia indicate lower welfare of the animals. Higher incidences of these lesions are associated with lower average daily gain. These lesions are...
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Introduction: Clinician and pain researchers agree that there is a need for measures of pain. In pigs, being a species of prey, pain may be concealed and thus difficult to assess. However, identification of pain is necessary to enable its alleviation. Several physiological and behavioural parameters have been used in this respect during the last decades, however with only little success. A useful method must be able to distinguish pain-related changes from behaviours related to...
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Introduction: In swine industry, piglets are tail docked at 3~7days old to prevent tail biting which is not fully understood what reason is. However, in the point of animal welfare, the cutting action is on negative perspective. Because the tail is a key role in communicating each pig and expressing their conditions, and docking practice causes amputation neuroma which is accompanied with pain. The aim of this survey was to examine the length and the diameter of docked...
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Introduction: Fattening of entire male pigs as a consequence of changed legislation results in new challenges for the pork production. With regard to husbandry the question persists whether separate or mixed housing of male and female fatteners is the most appropriate. In this investigation, the effects of different housing regimes on social behavior, performance and boar taint were determined. Materials and Methods: For the field study, 1440 male and female...
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Jay Johnson (USDA) shared insights on heat stress and new technology, in this Swine It interview with host Laura Greiner....
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Introduction: Piglet mortality causes welfare challenges and economic losses in commercial pig production. Crushing is the most common cause of death, but as an empty stomach is frequently found in crushed piglets, starvation is often a precursor to be crushed. Piglets are born with a limited resource of energy in the form of glycogen and with very little body fat. Thus an abundant amount of sow colostrum and later sows milk is vital for the survival of the piglets. In...
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Introduction: Climatic inadequacies may affect welfare and performance of pigs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of running the heating system backwards during the summer with the aim to accomplish a more comfortable indoor climate. Materials and Methods: The study was made in herd with a module stable for fatteners with a natural mechanic ventilation system. Each unit had two pens sized 19.6 m 2 , out of which 5.7...
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Introduction: Loose housing systems for sows may have increased the occurrence and importance of Ascaris suum. Anthelmintic treatments can result in resistance development. Therefore identification of risk factors and development of alternative control strategies is relevant. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors associated with Ascaris suum egg counts in sows and gilts from intensive farms with loose housed sows. Materials and...
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A guide to choosing the right ventilation concept for your farm In this guide, you’ll read about the different ventilation concepts used in poultry and pig housing around the world. A ventilation concept is how you...
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Introduction: Ulcerations in the skin of a pig may be painful and hamper the welfare of the animal if neglected. Serious and untreated ulcerations are reported to the police by veterinary enforcement officers, and often an examination carried out by a veterinary pathologist is requested. A retrospective study of forensic case files concerning ulcerations in Danish pigs from 2000 to 2014 was carried out. The aim of the study was to evaluate the number of cases, the number...
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Introduction: Straw is one of the most effective routing materials to reduce tail biting in pigs. A so called foraging-tower (FT) enables to provide only small quantities of straw compatible with liquid manure systems. The focus was on the effect of providing straw by FT for the prevention of tail biting in tail docked pigs. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted from June 2013 to August 2014 in a conventional farrow to finish herd in Germany, which...
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Stefan Eils, Director Sustainability Development at Evonik Animal Nutrition, discusses how Evonik is working on reducing the environmental impact of livestock operations around the world
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Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major human and animal health problem that is linked with antimicrobial usage. Given current knowledge of the problems caused by AMR in humans and animals, it is important to explore the reasons for differing levels of antimicrobial use in Irish pig production and assess its impact on animal health and performance. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire including 90 questions on different aspects of pig...
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Introduction: Piglets from gilts have poorer performance and health during later life. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sow parity and other lactation parameters on pig welfare lesions in the weaner and finisher stages. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on a farrow-to-finish commercial farm. At birth, the sex and bodyweight (BW) of 847 piglets was recorded as well as the parity of their dam and the number of piglets born...
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Introduction: Tail biting outbreaks rate among the major threats in pig production. To prevent or at least minimize tail biting docking is routine practice in Germany, although it contradicts the Council Directive 2008/120/EC. Many factors, like climate, general health status, stocking density, food and water supply and especially insufficient environmental enrichment have a major impact on the tail biting incidence. In the present study, a straw-filled rooting tower...
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Introduction: Euthanasia of pigs on farms is a common and inevitable process for the well-being of the animals. The American Association of Swine Veterinarians along with the American Veterinary Medical Association set guidelines for appropriate euthanasia techniques based on the size and age of a pig. Piglet euthanasia presents a considerable challenge due to the general lack of body fat, small size, and difficult handling. There are limited methods to effectively...
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