Farm environment considerably affects animal welfare on the whole but mainly in the first period of their life, influencing the development of central nervous system and consequently of the normal pattern behaviour. Several studies suggest that environmental enrichment, especially the provision of handling material, reduces behaviours directed at conspecifics with positive effect on animal welfare, allowing the creation of behavioural opportunities to express control over the environment. The aim of the present study was to estimate the effect of environmental enrichment on animal welfare monitoring productive performances. The experiment was carried out on 1186 piglets in two successive batches. Thesis 1 explored the efficacy of providing piglets paper as handling material on their growing rate. Moreover it was investigated on the effect of the partition between three neighbouring farrowing crates removal (Thesis 2) on piglets performances. Animals were weighed at 3th, 14 th, and 28 th day after birth. Results of the first Thesis, showed no significance differences between the two groups. On the contrary, piglets kept in open creates displayed better growth and average daily gain since the 14 th day after birth.
Arricchimento ambientale per suinetti in sala parto
GIULIOTTI, LORELLA;BENVENUTI, MARIA NOVELLA;
2008-01-01
Abstract
Farm environment considerably affects animal welfare on the whole but mainly in the first period of their life, influencing the development of central nervous system and consequently of the normal pattern behaviour. Several studies suggest that environmental enrichment, especially the provision of handling material, reduces behaviours directed at conspecifics with positive effect on animal welfare, allowing the creation of behavioural opportunities to express control over the environment. The aim of the present study was to estimate the effect of environmental enrichment on animal welfare monitoring productive performances. The experiment was carried out on 1186 piglets in two successive batches. Thesis 1 explored the efficacy of providing piglets paper as handling material on their growing rate. Moreover it was investigated on the effect of the partition between three neighbouring farrowing crates removal (Thesis 2) on piglets performances. Animals were weighed at 3th, 14 th, and 28 th day after birth. Results of the first Thesis, showed no significance differences between the two groups. On the contrary, piglets kept in open creates displayed better growth and average daily gain since the 14 th day after birth.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
