Animal Well-being
Development of improved trailer designs and transport management practices that create the optimum environment for market weight pigs during transport and minimize transport losses
October 9, 2008By Michael Ellis
The micro-environment experienced by pigs on the trailer during transport is critical for animal well-being and, potentially, impacts transport losses and, ultimately, pork quality. Environmental...
Animal Well-being
Long distance transport of breeding stock
September 30, 2008By John McGlone
Breeding stock are frequently shipped considerable distance from isolated high-level biosecurity facilities to farms across North America. Little scientific data exists on the reproductive or...
Animal Well-being
Effectiveness of a non-penetrating captive bolt for on-farm euthanasia of low viability piglets
July 18, 2008By Tina Widowski
Swine producers must inevitably deal with on-farm euthanasia of low viability and compromised piglets. Compromised piglets are of low economic value and may be underweight, weak, malformed, emaciated...
Animal Well-being
Space requirements of weaned pigs during transportation
March 13, 2008By John McGlone
Currently there are no trucking quality assurance recommendations for space allowance of weaned pigs during transport. The objective of this research was to establish a first estimate of the space...
Animal Well-being
Comparison of Management Factors Affecting Aggression in Group Housed Sows
January 24, 2008By Harold Gonyou
If sows are maintained in similar groups from gestation to gestation, aggression is reduced compared to the other regrouping strategies tested. However, this method would not always be practical....
Animal Well-being
Comparison of Handling Attributes and Physiological Indicators of Stress and Welfare During Marketing of Pigs from Conventional Small Pens and Large Pen Auto Sort
January 4, 2008By Harold Gonyou
When handled through the same facilities, pigs from large and small groups required similar levels of force during handling. Difficult groups of pigs were encountered in both treatments. However,...
Animal Well-being
What is the optimum age for processing neonatal pigs?
June 29, 2007By Stephanie Torrey
Multiple producer groups recommend that piglets be tail docked and ear notched within 24 hours of birth because the procedures are considered less stressful for the piglet at that age. However, there...
Animal Well-being
How does drinking behavior influence feed intake and the development of behavior problems in newly weaned piglets?
December 29, 2006By Tina Widowski
Drinker style affects multiple aspects of production and behavior of the newly weaned piglet. Nipple drinkers contribute to high levels of water wastage, regardless of weaning age. Float bowl...
Animal Well-being
The frequency of the HAL-1843 mutation of the RYR gene in dead and non-ambulatory/non-injured pigs on arrival at the packing plant.
October 11, 2006By Michael Ellis
The HAL-1843 mutation of the RYR gene (commonly called the “Stress” or “Halothane” gene) is associated with increased stress susceptibility and death loss in pigs. Death loss and...
Animal Well-being
Evaluation of sows at harvest to determine the incidence of abnormalities that could lead to culling of breeding herd females
August 22, 2006By Ken Stalder
Poor sow longevity in commercial pork production systems can lead to economic inefficiency and animal welfare concerns (Stalder et al., 2004). In the United States, reported annual breeding female...
