Prairie Swine Centre Prairie Swine Centre
  • About
  • Media
  • Research
  • Programs
  • Publications
  • Contact
Search
(306) 373-9922
Saskatoon, SK
Graduate Opportunities
Prairie Swine Centre Prairie Swine Centre
  • About
  • Media
  • Research
  • Programs
  • Publications
  • Contact
Search Articles

Stimulating Exploratory Behaviour in Piglets: Effects on Pre-Weaning Creep Consumption

WShannon
EthologyNutrition
November 4, 2020

The abrupt change from a liquid to solid diet causes stress at weaning, along with a new environment and a different grouping of pigs. This often reduces intake for a few days and increases risk of mortality and disease susceptibility. The goal of using creep feed is to help with the transition of food and prevent weight loss. Less than half of the piglets in a litter actually consume the creep. There is little opportunity for sow-piglet interaction and exploration in intensive barns, but if piglets could be stimulated to explore, they may have more interest in creep feed. In this experiment a large tray feeder was more effective at attracting piglets to the creep feed compared to a standard feeder or a rope enrichment, possibly as it provided foraging and rooting behaviour as a group. Piglet growth was enhanced after weaning. If it is the foraging behaviour that is beneficial, expensive creep feed may not be necessary as it will most likely be wasted.

Stimulating Exploratory Behaviour in Piglets – Effects on Pre-Weaning Creep Consumption (full article)

-
Share on Facebook Share on X
Research Areas
EngineeringEthologyManagementMediaNutritionOntario PorkProductionSwine Innovation Porc

Engineering

  • Optimizing temperature requirements of pigs to reduce energy use in swine production
  • Investment cost and payback period of a modified prototype livestock trailer
  • Alternative energy and heating sources

Nutrition

  • Transepithelial ion transport in the stomach of pigs exposed to gastric ulcer conditions
  • Developing an Indigestible Protein Index to Investigate the Effects of Dietary Protein in Pigs
  • Impact of fibre on performance and intestinal health of pigs fed a high indigestible protein level

Ethology

  • The influence of straw enrichment on hair hormone concentrations, behaviour, and productivity of growing pigs
  • Rearing pigs with play opportunities: The effects on disease resilience in pigs experimentally inoculated with PRRSV
  • Promoting play behaviour in grow-finish pigs

Management

  • Quality of Life Handbook – The use of environmental enrichment
  • Seek and you shall find; The value of postmortem, in pigs?
  • P1 development strategies for peak performance

Social Media

Continue Reading

Previous post

Feeding Mycotoxin Contaminated Grain to Swine

Next post

Assessing Daily Exposure Risk of Pig Barn Workers to Airborne Contaminants

Close
Search

Hit enter to search or ESC to close

cookie By using this website, you agree to our cookie policy. Close