CORRELATION BETWEEN THE WELFARE OF FINISHING PIGS AND GROWING CONDITIONS INDUCED STRESS

摘要

Research has monitored the manner under which growing conditions in the pig shelters may influence the behavioural and productivity indicators as means of assessing fattening pigs welfare.We simultaneously monitored the evolution of factors such as microclimate; animal behaviour and productivity in two different farming systems. We recorded the animal body weight at the beginning of their fattening period (28-29;5kg) and at its end (104;6-119kg). The growth varied and it was 12% lower in the shelter were we did not monitor the microclimate. The shelter air temperature varied greatly over the study period in the shelter where it could not be controlled and monitored (5-90C); thus compelling the pigs to spend most of their time lying down (both in the cold and the hot season) in order to keep their homeostasis. All these aspects indicate that monitoring the microclimate factors and particularly the shelter air temperature is very important in the case of raising fattening pigs as great variations may influence productivity and behaviour; and inherently their welfare level.