The behaviour of sows towards piglets in farrowing crates and farrowing pens in New Zealand

摘要

Previous studies have highlighted the effect that the farrowing accommodation can have on sow and piglet performance (Marchant et al, 2000) and the expression of behaviour (Baxter et al, 2011).This has led to the development of many farrowing pen designs, some of which have the potential to replace farrowing crates. The aim of this study was to compare the behaviour of sows that were housed in farrowing pens with those housed in farrowing crates.