Effective enrichments for piglets: effects of early enrichment on development and reduction of damaging behaviours

Information on effective environmental enrichments for young pigs is needed to promote pig health and welfare and to support Canadian producers in meeting the Code of Practice requirement for enrichment provision. Most environmental enrichment studies have focused on market pigs as they are prone to damaging behaviours such as tail biting. However, studies suggest that early provision of enrichment may be more important for reducing negative behaviours in later life as piglets will learn to direct their’ exploratory behaviour towards the environment rather than pen mates. This project will identify practical, inexpensive, and biologically relevant enrichment materials for nursery pigs, and examine the long term effects of early enrichment. Individual and group measures will be used to evaluate enrichment interaction, behavioural traits, growth and the occurrence of damaging behaviours. The results will guide pig producers in implementing effective enrichment protocol and improve the sustainability of pork production.

Faculty Supervisor:

Karen Schwean-Lardner

Student:

Partner:

Prairie Swine Centre Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program: