Conference paper
Effect of straw supply as environmental enrichment on skin surface temperature for prepartum sows
pp.836-841
Organising Committee of the 9th European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming (ECPLF), Teagasc, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre
9th European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming (ECPLF), 9th (Cork, Ireland, 26/08/2019–29/08/2019)
2019
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Abstract
The research was conducted to evaluate the effects of environmental enrichment, using straw, on the superficial temperature (ST) of sows during prepartum, intrapartum and postpartum. Thirty-two sows were used (2nd to 8th birth orders). The animals were distributed according to the birth order in two treatments, with each sow being an experimental unit: 1) Control: sows in conventional farrowing crates without environmental enrichment; 2) Straw: supply of straw for nest construction as environmental enrichment in the conventional farrowing crates. The straw was offered in the crates through a wooden box fixed to the bars of the cages, at a height that allowed the animal to pick up the straw with the mouth. Surface temperature of the sows was obtained through infrared Thermovisor equipment at three moments: approximately six hours prepartum, during the partum and one hour postpartum. The mean surface temperature was calculated by the temperature of 30 points distributed to represent the overall body surface of the animals. The data were analysed using the SAS GLIMMIX procedure and submitted to Pearson's correlation (P < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between the birth order and the ST, indicating that younger sows presented a higher ST elevation during birth. There was no effect of straw supplying on ST in the evaluated periods, however, sows that spent more time on nest building presented lower ST. Sows housed in enriched crates showed signs of improvement in well-being, reducing the frequency of stereotyped behaviours and showed positive effects on the frequency of suckling.
Details
- Title
- Effect of straw supply as environmental enrichment on skin surface temperature for prepartum sows
- Creators
- Renata Martins - Universidade Federal da Grande DouradosCarla Crone - Universidade Federal da Grande DouradosIsabella Lippi - Faculty of Science and EngineeringFabiana Ribeiro Caldara - Universidade Federal da Grande DouradosViviane Maria Oliveira dos Santos Nieto - Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do SulRodrigo Garofallo Garcia - Universidade Federal da Grande DouradosAgnes Markiy Odakura - Universidade Federal da Grande DouradosLarissa Braganholo Vargas - Universidade Federal da Grande DouradosGisele Aparecida Felix - Centro Universitário da Grande Dourados
- Publication Details
- pp.836-841
- Conference
- 9th European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming (ECPLF), 9th (Cork, Ireland, 26/08/2019–29/08/2019)
- Publisher
- Organising Committee of the 9th European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming (ECPLF), Teagasc, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre
- Grant note
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/501100002322)
- Identifiers
- 991013285536902368
- Copyright
- © Precision Livestock Farming 2019 - Papers Presented at the 9th European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming, ECPLF 2019. All rights reserved.
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Conference paper