Sow loss can cause psychological harm to workers and also results in loss of profits. Sow longevity is decreasing even with the new genetic advancements and a switch to group housing. A survey is being done on reasons for culling...

Economics often limit the amount of comfort pigs have access to. Space allowance is a big issue for pigs since performance and behaviour are largely affected when there is not enough. Often nursery pigs are given less room due to...

Enrichment to help enhance animal welfare is a requirement in the updated Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs. An accelerometer can measure the acceleration of enrichment objects, and therefore how much they are used. Some objects,...

There are many stressors in a pig life. These include both social and environmental aspects and can have a negative affect on the immune system and health as well as performance, growth and meat quality of the pigs. Pig stress...

Transitioning to group sow housing involves major renovations and changes to daily management. One of the best resources on the transition is the producers who have already switched over. An important consideration to make is which feeding system to use....

Space allowance can impact many areas of pork production including social interaction, behaviour, stress and productivity. Often weaner pigs are given less space allowance due to their size but this may not be adequate. Crowding occurs near the end of...

Sows often have increased aggression due to restricted feeding or low space allowances. It may also be increased in a competitive feeding system. Moving to group sow housing makes aggression more dangerous to the animals and implementing enrichment in the...

Sow mixing strategies can affect reproductive performance, sow well-being and the economics of the operation. Mixing sows is a critical aspect of group housing so it needs to be better understood. The three time points that mixing can occur are...

Food quality not includes the environmental impact, local economy, health, safety along with nutritional value, so animal welfare is increasingly becoming and important attribute to food quality. Various standards for welfare have been developed and a third party is needed...

Animal well-being and economic viability depend on being able to identify risk factors affecting sow longevity and welfare. New technologies to measure lameness are being developed, along with assessment tools for figuring out temperament traits are being researched. These can...

Several advantages can be found when implementing timely and well-planned euthanasia’s. Unnecessary suffering and costs are both reduced and welfare is improved due to a higher chance of survival of the other piglets. The most common euthanasia method in Canada...