Effects of three husbandry systems on health, welfare and productivity of organic pigs

Organic pig husbandry systems in Europe are diverse – ranging from indoor systems with concrete outside run (IN) to outdoor systems all year round (OUT) and combinations of both on one farm (POUT). As this diversity has rarely been taken into account in research projects on organic pig production, t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animal (Cambridge, England) England), 2019-09, Vol.13 (9), p.2025-2033
Main Authors: Leeb, C., Rudolph, G., Bochicchio, D., Edwards, S., Früh, B., Holinger, M., Holmes, D., Illmann, G., Knop, D., Prunier, A., Rousing, T., Winckler, C., Dippel, S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
animal-based
assessment
indoor
outdoor
pig
Research Article
Welfare, Behaviour and Health Management
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Summary:Organic pig husbandry systems in Europe are diverse – ranging from indoor systems with concrete outside run (IN) to outdoor systems all year round (OUT) and combinations of both on one farm (POUT). As this diversity has rarely been taken into account in research projects on organic pig production, the aim of this study was to assess and compare pig health, welfare and productivity in these three systems. Animal health and welfare were assessed using direct observation and records of 22 animal-based measures, comprising 17 health-, 3 productivity- and 2 behavioural measures. These were collected in pregnant sows, weaners and fattening pigs during direct observations and from records within a cross-sectional study on 74 farms (IN: n = 34, POUT: n = 28, OUT: n = 12) in eight countries. Overall, prevalence of several animal health and welfare issues was low (e.g. median 0% for pigs needing hospitalisation, shoulder lesions, ectoparasites;
ISSN:1751-7311
1751-732X
DOI:10.1017/S1751731119000041