Behaviour of liquid-fed growing pigs provided with straw in various amounts and frequencies

Abstract

Straw possesses many characteristics that make it attractive to pigs and can therefore be effective in preventing negative penmate-directed behaviours. However, straw is difficult to handle in current vacuum slurry systems under most commercial conditions and can therefore only be used in limited amounts. To occupy pigs effectively, straw must remain attractive to pigs throughout the whole day; hence, have a certain degree of novelty. We investigated the penmate-directed behaviour of liquid-fed growing pigs in a production herd, assigned to five experimental treatments: 1 × 25, 1 × 50, 1 × 100, 2 × 50 and 4 × 25 g of chopped straw/pig per day, with 20 replicates of each treatment (pen was regarded as experimental unit). Behaviour was observed at two different growth stages;~40 and 80 kg live weight of the pigs. Activity and exploratory behaviour directed at penmates, straw, pen components and the slatted floor were registered continuously for 15 min of each hour during day time (0600 to 2200 h) by use of video observation of three focal pigs per pen. The pigs were active for about one-third of the day corresponding to~5 h/day. Of the active time, an average of 7% (35 min) was spent on penmate-directed behaviour. The pigs were more active and increased their straw-directed behaviour when provided with 100 g straw/pig per day compared with 25 and 50 g ( P < 0.001). However, penmate-directed behaviour was not reduced with an increased amount of straw ( P > 0.05), and there was no effect on pigs' behaviour when straw provision was increased per day ( P > 0.05). Pigs became less active and reduced their straw-directed activities when their weight increased from 40 to 80 kg live weight ( P < 0.001), but the amount of penmate-directed behaviour was similar ( P > 0.05). Further, the residual straw results indicated that perhaps a more frequent straw provision could help establish a more even level of fresh available straw during the day. However, the frequent straw provision did not occupy pigs more than one daily allocation did. In conclusion, there was no difference in penmate-directed behaviour of the pigs when given 25 or 50 g of straw/pig per day compared with 100 g of straw/pig per day, nor were there any difference when 100 g of straw/pig per day was provided more frequently.

Behaviour of fattening pigs fed with liquid feed and dry feed

“…However, after that time they lost interest to the straw, and the conclusion was that the pigs spent interest to the straw just as long as they considered it to be new and unsullied as also concluded by others [29]. Thus a way to stimulate the exploratory behaviour of fatteners could be to more frequently offer small amounts of straw, and/or to let them actively work for feed through automatics [30].…”

Pigs with but not without access to pieces of recently harvested wood show reduced pen-mate manipulation after a provision of feed and straw

“…In studies to determine a daily amount of straw after which further increases in quantity no longer reduced penmate manipulation, the resulting values pigs have ranged from 250 g/pig/day (Jensen et al (2015) to slightly below 400 g/pig/day (Pedersen et al, 2014). Pigs given 100 g/day have more overall activity and straw-directed activity than pigs given 25 g/day or 50 g/day, but no difference in manipulation of pen-mates (Oxholm et al 2014). On farms with slatted or partly slatted floors and managing the manure as slurry, few of the above amounts are likely to be adopted, because there is a need to save in labour costs and to prevent obstruction of the manure management system.…”

The Effect of Straw, Rope, and Bite-Rite Treatment in Weaner Pens with a Tail Biting Outbreak

“…It could be that providing a larger amount of straw and thereby ensuring access for a longer period of the day would have reduced the escalation in tail biting more efficiently [27]. Hence, increasing amounts of straw, increases the time pigs interact with the material [28,29]. There are, however, practical problems with larger amounts of straw, as it increases the risk of the material accumulating in the slurry canals or blocking up the slurry pipes [9].…”

“…There are, however, practical problems with larger amounts of straw, as it increases the risk of the material accumulating in the slurry canals or blocking up the slurry pipes [9]. To ensure access to straw for a longer period during the day, Oxholm et al [28] demonstrated that more frequent allocation (four times daily vs. once a day) of the same total amount of straw ensured more straw left in the pen the following day. Another approach could be to give the straw in a rack, which would probably also increase accessibility.…”