MOBILE AND STATIONARY SYSTEMS FOR ORGANIC PIGS – ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR IN OUTDOOR PENS

The production of organic pork in Sweden has increased. For several years, however, demand has been greater than production. An important factor contributing to the limited production is a lack of knowledge and experience of outdoor pig systems, since they are uncommon in Sweden. This study compared the behaviour of fattening pigs in two different organic produc¬tion systems, with the main focus on excretory behaviour. In both the mobile and the stationary system there was an uneven distribution of manure and urine in the pens. In the mobile system, the hotspots were in the hut area and in part of the drinking area, while in the stationary system, the concrete pad as well as the wallowing area and the first section of the transporta¬tion area seemed to be the hotspots. Furthermore, the pigs avoided defecating around the feeding troughs and lying area in the mobile system. A more uniform distri¬bution of nutrients can possibly be obtained by manipulating the excretory behaviour of the pigs, e.g. by regularly shifting the positions of the feeders and huts

Group housing horses under Nordic conditions: strategies to improve horse welfare and human safety

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