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The post-weaning behaviour of indoor-bred and outdoor-bred pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

S. Webster  and
M. Dawkins
S. Webster*
Affiliation:
Animal Behaviour Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
M. Dawkins
Affiliation:
Animal Behaviour Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
*
†Present address: Elite Consortium Ltd, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth CV8 2LG.
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Abstract

The effect of two different lactation environments on the development of pig behaviour was examined at weaning and on days 1, 8, 15 and 57 post weaning. Ten focal indoor-bred pigs and 10 focal outdoor-bred pigs were weaned and mixed together into a group of 60 to 80 mixed indoor- and outdoor-bred pigs. There were six replicate groups. Scans of all focal animals were made using time sampling with a 2-min interval, for 3·0 h immediately following weaning and from 06:00 to 11:00 h on days 1, 8, 15 and 57 post weaning. All pens were straw bedded with two different types of feeder system: one seven-space ad libitum hopper and two rooting-action feeders each accommodating up to four piglets at one time.

From weaning to day 1 post weaning, outdoor-bred pigs were observed to feed more than were indoor-bred pigs (115·6 v. 97·0 observations per pen per day, P < 0·05, s.e.d. = 1·18). From days 8 to 57 post weaning, outdoor-bred pigs were observed to root more than were indoor-bred pigs (22·5 v. 14·7 observations per pen per day, P < 0·05, s.e.d. = 1·22). These findings support the hypothesis that the lactation environment has a significant effect on the behaviour of pigs in their subsequent growing environment. However, such effects appear not to lead to differences in carcass weights, rigor following dressing or carcass blemish at slaughter.

Keywords

pigsbehaviour
Type
Non-ruminant nutrition, behaviour and production
Information
Animal Science , Volume 71 , Issue 2 , October 2000 , pp. 265 - 271
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2000

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