Use of an outdoor run by fattening pigs kept in large group housing systems with announced access through computer-controlled gates

IF 2.2 2区农林科学 Q1 AGRICULTURE, DAIRY & ANIMAL SCIENCE

Applied Animal Behaviour Science Pub Date : 2024-07-02 DOI:10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106345

Ulrike Höne , Lars Schrader , Richard Hölscher , Imke Traulsen , E. Tobias Krause

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Access to outdoor runs for small groups of fattening pigs, particularly in organic farming systems, are applied in practice and has been the subject of several studies. Access to an outdoor run has been shown to improve the welfare of pigs. However, little is known about the use of outdoor runs in large groups of up to 450 pigs. The aim of this study was to examine the usage of an outdoor run with restricted access in such a large group housing system, which involved using an indoor ventilation system when outdoor run access was restricted. A total of 900 pigs kept in two large groups of 450 pigs each were observed during the fattening period. Access to the outdoor run was provided by computer-controlled gates programmed to open at regular intervals during the day between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Opening phases of the gates to the outdoor run were signalled by a visual-acoustic signal. Restriction to the outdoor run was only on the way out, while access from the outdoor run to the inside area was continuously available. In addition to investigating the usage of the outdoor run, we also examined whether the pigs reacted to the visual-acoustic signals indicating the opening of the gates and whether the opening phases caused crowding in front of the gates. Furthermore, we evaluated the soiling of both the indoor area and the outdoor run. In these large group housing systems, the fattening pigs used the outdoor run continuously during the day, despite the restricted access. On average, 13.6 % of the fattening pigs were present in the outdoor run. No crowding, i.e., exaggerated accumulation of pigs, was observed at the gates during the opening phases. The fattening pigs mainly soiled two areas: an outdoor area near the fence and an uncovered lying area inside the barn. Our results from two large groups of pigs revealed, for the first time, important insights into how such groups use outdoor runs and automated gates.

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在大型群养系统中饲养的育肥猪使用室外跑道，可通过计算机控制的大门出入

在实践中，特别是在有机养殖系统中，为小群育肥猪提供户外跑道的做法得到了应用，并已成为多项研究的主题。事实证明，使用室外跑道可以提高猪的福利。然而，人们对多达 450 头猪的大型猪群使用户外跑道的情况知之甚少。本研究的目的是考察在这种大型群养系统中限制进入的室外跑道的使用情况，其中包括在限制进入室外跑道时使用室内通风系统。在育肥期，我们观察了分两组饲养的 900 头猪，每组 450 头猪。进入室外跑道的通道由计算机控制的闸门提供，这些闸门在每天上午 7:00 至下午 6:00 之间的固定时间段打开。室外跑道的限制仅适用于外出时，而从室外跑道进入室内区域则持续有效。除了调查室外活动区的使用情况，我们还研究了猪是否对闸门开启的声光信号有反应，以及开启阶段是否会造成闸门前的拥挤。此外，我们还评估了室内和室外跑道的脏污情况。在这些大型群养系统中，尽管限制进出，但育肥猪白天仍持续使用室外跑道。平均有 13.6% 的育肥猪在室外活动。在大门开启阶段，没有观察到拥挤现象，即猪只过度聚集。育肥猪主要弄脏了两个区域：靠近围栏的室外区域和猪舍内无遮盖的躺卧区域。我们对两组大型猪群的研究结果首次揭示了此类猪群如何使用室外跑道和自动门的重要信息。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Applied Animal Behaviour Science 农林科学-行为科学

CiteScore

4.40

自引率

21.70%

发文量

191

审稿时长

18.1 weeks

期刊介绍： This journal publishes relevant information on the behaviour of domesticated and utilized animals. Topics covered include: -Behaviour of farm, zoo and laboratory animals in relation to animal management and welfare -Behaviour of companion animals in relation to behavioural problems, for example, in relation to the training of dogs for different purposes, in relation to behavioural problems -Studies of the behaviour of wild animals when these studies are relevant from an applied perspective, for example in relation to wildlife management, pest management or nature conservation -Methodological studies within relevant fields The principal subjects are farm, companion and laboratory animals, including, of course, poultry. The journal also deals with the following animal subjects: -Those involved in any farming system, e.g. deer, rabbits and fur-bearing animals -Those in ANY form of confinement, e.g. zoos, safari parks and other forms of display -Feral animals, and any animal species which impinge on farming operations, e.g. as causes of loss or damage -Species used for hunting, recreation etc. may also be considered as acceptable subjects in some instances -Laboratory animals, if the material relates to their behavioural requirements