Research on management adjustments or enrichment elements to prevent cannibalism and tail biting in pigs.

This project aims to develop practical solutions (adjusting the management and using enrichment) to reduce aggression and frustration behavior of pigs in practice. Tail biting is most common in pigs between 40 and 50 kg. Hence, this research focuses on enrichment and management adjustement in the fattening phase. The ultimate aim is the introduction of effective enrichment and management adjustments so that the routine docking of piglets, which is legally not allowed, can be omitted. Finally, a group of piglets with intact tails (= not docked) will be raised in appropriate management conditions and in an enriched environment (both tested in previous experiments). During the experiments these animal parameters will be monitored individually: behavior, interest in enriching materials, performance (weight, growth and feed conversion), health (administration of medication and pig fallout), injuries, carcass conformation, heart, lung and tail lesions, and stress/wellbeing. The accumulated knowledge/insights will be communicated to the pig sector.

Keywords:Enrichment, Reduction, Management, Aggression, Tail, Pigs, Behaviour, Biting

Disciplines:Laboratory medicine, Palliative care and end-of-life care, Regenerative medicine, Other basic sciences, Other health sciences, Nursing, Other paramedical sciences, Other translational sciences, Other medical and health sciences