Jen-Yun Chou, the new ethology and welfare research scientist at Prairie Swine Centre, introduced herself to the crowd at the 2024 PSC Producer Meetings. She gave an overview of her previous research focus and travels through the pig world, including research on sow housing and environmental enrichment. Jen investigated wood as the primary enrichment and discovered that wood is generally safe for pigs, but the level of interaction with the wood depends on the type of wood. She then provided multiple enrichments at the same time, including grass in a rack, wood on the wall, and several hanging and loose items on the floor, and tail biting was much reduced in these pigs. At the University of Pennsylvania, Jen was involved in a research trial with sows in individual stalls, individual pens or group pens for 8 days post-weaning and looking at a range of welfare measures. Their results showed that group housing is not just about the space but also about providing the opportunity to have proper social interactions. Jen continued her presentation with an overview of upcoming research trials at PSC including thermal profiles of pigs, analysis of group sow housing data from commercial farms, loose lactation systems, and creep feeding.
Moving forward with improved sow housing: Current progress and prospects (full article)
