Impact of Various Parity Groupings on Welfare and Productivity in ESF Housing
Electronic sow feeders (ESF) provide an automated system for controlling the individual feed intake of group-housed sows. However, this system can prompt increased aggression, especially in the initial period following mixing, as sows compete for access to the ESF. The primary objective of this...
Quantifying the Prevalence of Lameness and Hoof Lesions
Th e aim of this survey was to collect information on the prevelance of lameness and hoof lesions on genetic nucleus herds, to help provide baseline information on the prevelance of lameness and hoof lesions in Canadian sows. Six genetic herds were visited,...
Stimulating Exploratory Behaviour – Effect on Creep Consumption
This study investigated whether feed consumption before and after weaning can be increased through stimulating exploratory behaviour in piglets, and whether this is best achieved through provision of enrichment (E), or through presentation of creep feed in a large tray feeder (TF) so as...
Weaning Sows Directly into Group Housing
Social stress from mixing sows has the potential to negatively affect sow production and welfare. Housing sows in stalls from weaning until five weeks after breeding is a common strategy used to prevent aggression and ensure control over individual feeding during breeding, conception and...
National Sow Housing Conversion Project
The National Sow Housing Conversion Project (NSHCP) was conceived as a descriptive project to facilitate the successful conversion of Canada’s sow barns to group housing. The project involved collaboration from industry participants and academic researchers working together on a comprehensive strategy involving...
Determining Effective Enrichments for Group Housed Sows
Providing enrichment involves making changes to the environment that are intended to increase the range of normal Behaviours and improve the biological functioning and well-being of animals. Enrichment in group housing systems has the potential to significantly improve animal welfare by reducing aggression and...
Practical Alternatives for Castration
The Canadian Code of Practice requires that swine producers provide analgesics to piglets at castration to help control post-procedural pain. However, complete information on the different analgesics available to control post-procedural pain, their effectiveness and optimized procedures for delivering pain control have...
Determining Optimum Space Allowance for Nursery Pigs
Studies were conducted in 2 phases to determine the eff ects of six diff erent space allowances (k= 0.0230, 0.0265, 0.0300, 0.0335, 0.0370, and 0.0390) on nursery pig behavior, growth and welfare from 3 to 8 weeks of age. Phase 1...
Alternatives for control & detection of boar taint in market hogs
Castration of piglets is a common practice in Canada, as in many other countries, to avoid boar taint in pork meat. There is, however, a growing interest in raising non-castrated males for animal welfare reasons and because intact males are more growth efficient than castrates....
Are Sows Motivated for Movement?
The Canadian Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs requires that as of July 1, 2024, all mated gilts and sows must be housed in groups, or individual pens. Mated gilts and sows may also be housed...
Transitioning to Loose Sow Housing
One producer’s (John Van Engelen, Ontario) lessons in making the transition to group sow housing. As presented to a Group Sow Housing Seminar in the fall of 2017.
Group Sow Housing Resources
The following resources are designed for producers looking to make the transition to group sow housing.
