Towards an improved method of piglet castration to reduce pain: the use of one incision in combination with the use of Vapocoolant and Metacam™
Weaned pig transport: animal welfare impact of duration of trip, and provision of feed and water
Weaned pigs are transported on many USA farms. Some are transported short distances and others many hours. During transport pigs can be exposed to several stressors prior to and during transport including handling during loading, exposure to a novel environment,…
Impact of disease on amino acid requirements of growing pigs
A total of 40 gilts (initial BW 9.4 ± 0.9 kg) were used in three experiments (Exp) to evaluate the impact of disease induced either by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) on the measures…
Determining the Prevalence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Salmonella Serovars Isolated from U.S. Retail Ground Pork
Salmonella is a foodborne pathogen that may be associated with meat products. The goal of this project was to determine the prevalence of Salmonella in ground pork at retail, and to evaluate factors that may be associated with its prevalence.…
The use of bedding in ramp to reduce slipping and falling while loading and unloading weaned and finishing pigs
Transport is a potentially stressful event that almost all piglets/pigs go through at least once in their life considering multi-site production systems and location of packing plants. Handling stress before and after transport can affect pig welfare and losses associated…
Establishing Bedding and Boarding Requirements for Finisher Pigs Through Scientific Validation – Macro Study
1. Establishing bedding requirements during transport and monitoring skin temperature over seasons after transport for finishing pigs.The objective of this study was to determine how much bedding should be provided in the transport trailer for finishing weight pigs in cold, mild,…
Systematic literature review and needs assessment of housing systems for gestating sows in group pens with group feeding
Gestation sow housing is a current contemporary animal welfare issue. The current political atmosphere is driving producers to consider changing back to group housing systems for gestating sows. It is important for producers converting to group housing systems that they…
Establishing bedding requirements for finisher pigs during transportation and skin surface temperature during different seasons after transportation
Producers and packers would like to reduce dead and down market pigs during transportation for economic and welfare reasons. Transport losses may be due to pig genetics, management before, during and after transportation, handling and environmental factors to identify a…
Practical methods to reduce the pain associated with piglet processing
Surgical castration is a common management practice performed on male pigs to prevent the occurrence of boar taint and aggressive behaviors. Surgical castration is known to cause biological and behavioral changes in pigs indicative of pain, however, it is a…