REVIEW: Updated scientific evidence on the welfare of gestating sows kept in different housing systems

McGlone, John J.

doi:10.15232/s1080-7446(15)30224-2

Cited by 30 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Aiming to characterize behavioral aspects of pregnant sows, the average frequencies of the sitting position were observed for female swine housed in individual cages and in collective stalls, resulting in 4.40% and 0.58% for each type of housing (PANDORFI, 2005).Staying seated or standing inactive for long periods may indicate poor welfare. The lying position, on the other hand, may reflect a good welfare situation in the case of sows housed in collective stalls (McGLONE, 2013). The behaviors of inactive activity (Figure 2), alert and sniffing showed statistical differences (P <0.05) in both stages.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 94%

Effect of Auditory Enrichment (Music) in Pregnant Sows Welfare

Silva¹,

Miranda²,

Piedade³

et al. 2017

Eng. Agríc.

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Studies have shown that the benefits from music can improve the welfare conditions of laboratory, pet and production animals. The study aimed to evaluate the influence of music (Antonio Lucio Vivaldi compositions) on behavior aspects (position, activity, stereotypes, social and agonistic behavior) and physiological responses (respiratory rate and rectal temperature) in gestating sows in individual cages (stage 1), and collective stalls (stage 2). 28 animals were studied, 14 belonged to music group, and 14 to the control group (without music).The respiratory rate had the lowest averages in the group with music, for example, in stage 1, time 1, values of 19.28 and 21.50 mov.min -1 . In stage 2, the values found in the same time were 20.36 and 24.16, and in time 2, values of 24.37 and 27.18 mov.min -1 . These findings follow in stage 2 until time 4.Behaviors position, activity, stereotypes and agonistic interaction with the researcher were also influenced by the music. We concluded from the results that music influenced the behavior of animals, providing greater relaxing and reduce stereotypes aspects related to a better welfare.KEY WORDS: animal behavior, physiological parameters, sound stimuli stereotypes.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 94%

Effect of Auditory Enrichment (Music) in Pregnant Sows Welfare

Silva¹,

Miranda²,

Piedade³

et al. 2017

Eng. Agríc.

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“…Stall housing is commonly used in the United States during the gestation phase (McGlone, ), which can be divided into early and mid‐to‐late stages. Since 2013, group housing in European Union countries was deemed mandatory from 4 weeks after breeding to 1 week before the due date (European Commission, ), and floor space allowances in pen housing for pregnant gilts only and for sows combined with gilts, in groups of 6–40 pigs, are required to be 1.64 and 2.25 m 2 per pig, respectively (Maes, Pluym, & Peltoniemi, ).…”

Section: Four Production Phases In Gilts and Sowsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…McGlone and colleagues reviewed the literature from 1970 to 2002, and concluded that no differences were discernable between individual stall housing and group housing for PBA (9.8 vs. 9.9 pigs, respectively) or farrowing rate (80.6% vs. 75.9%, respectively)(McGlone et al, ). A more recent review by McGlone looked at the results of studies from 2005 to 2012 (McGlone, ), again reporting no differences in PBA between individual stall housing and group housing from six primary studies (Chapinal et al, ; Harris et al, ; Hulbert & McGlone, ; Jansen, Kirkwood, Zanella, & Tempelman, ; Karlen et al, ; Salak‐Johnson, Niekamp, Rodriguez‐Zas, Ellis, & Curtis, ). Assessment of pens retrofitted from stalls identified no differences in PBA between various pens and stalls, so long as the area was 1.5 m 2 per sow (Johnston & Li, ).…”

Section: Four Production Phases In Gilts and Sowsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sow housing associated with reproductive performance in breeding herds

Koketsu

Iida

2017

Molecular Reproduction Devel

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Female pigs in breeding herds can be managed through four phases-gilt development, breeding, gestation, and lactation-during which they may be housed in group or individual pens, stalls, or on pasture. In this review, we focus on housing environments that optimize outcomes during gestation and lactation. Appropriate housing is important during early gestation, to protect embryos and to confirm pregnancy, and from mid-to-late gestation, to ensure sufficient nutrition to increase placental and fetal growth. No difference in the number of pigs born alive were reported between group housing and individual stall housing, although more risk factors for reproductive performance are associated with group housing than stall housing including genetics, bedding, floor space allowance, group size, social ranking, and parity. Furthermore, lameness in pregnant pigs is more frequent in group housing than in stall housing.Housing during lactation helps protect piglets from being crushed or from contracting disease, and can foster the transfer of enough colostrum from mother to piglets.Indeed, lactating sows in pen housing tend to have higher pre-weaning mortality and lighter litter weights than those in crated housing.

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“…Considering animal welfare science, we have a very interesting situation. The totality of the science, as reviewed by four groups over time [ 13 , 20 , 21 , 22 ] suggests that the welfare, on average, does not differ however, one EU review [ 23 ] concluded the welfare of sows in gestation crates was lower than when they are in group housing.…”

Section: Example #2: Gestation Sow Housing Systems: Crates mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Future of Pork Production in the World: Towards Sustainable, Welfare-Positive Systems

McGlone

2013

Animals

102

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Simple SummaryMore pork is eaten in the world than any other meat. Making production systems and practices more sustainable will benefit the animals, the planet and people. A system is presented by which production practices are evaluated using a sustainability matrix. The matrix shows why some practices are more common in some countries and regions and the impediments to more sustainable systems. This method can be used to assess the sustainability of production practices in the future where objective, science-based information is presented alongside ethical and economic information to make the most informed decisions. Finally, this paper points to current pork production practices that are more and less sustainable.AbstractAmong land animals, more pork is eaten in the world than any other meat. The earth holds about one billion pigs who deliver over 100 mmt of pork to people for consumption. Systems of pork production changed from a forest-based to pasture-based to dirt lots and finally into specially-designed buildings. The world pork industry is variable and complex not just in production methods but in economics and cultural value. A systematic analysis of pork industry sustainability was performed. Sustainable production methods are considered at three levels using three examples in this paper: production system, penning system and for a production practice. A sustainability matrix was provided for each example. In a comparison of indoor vs. outdoor systems, the food safety/zoonoses concerns make current outdoor systems unsustainable. The choice of keeping pregnant sows in group pens or individual crates is complex in that the outcome of a sustainability assessment leads to the conclusion that group penning is more sustainable in the EU and certain USA states, but the individual crate is currently more sustainable in other USA states, Asia and Latin America. A comparison of conventional physical castration with immunological castration shows that the less-common immunological castration method is more sustainable (for a number of reasons). This paper provides a method to assess the sustainability of production systems and practices that take into account the best available science, human perception and culture, animal welfare, the environment, food safety, worker health and safety, and economics (including the cost of production and solving world hunger). This tool can be used in countries and regions where the table values of a sustainability matrix change based on local conditions. The sustainability matrix can be used to assess current systems and predict improved systems of the future.

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REVIEW: Updated scientific evidence on the welfare of gestating sows kept in different housing systems

Cited by 30 publications

References 19 publications

Effect of Auditory Enrichment (Music) in Pregnant Sows Welfare

Effect of Auditory Enrichment (Music) in Pregnant Sows Welfare

Sow housing associated with reproductive performance in breeding herds

The Future of Pork Production in the World: Towards Sustainable, Welfare-Positive Systems

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