Dairy Science Commons^™

Shortening Sow Restraint Period During Lactation Improves Production And Decreases Hair Cortisol Concentrations In Sows And Their Piglets, L. Morgan, J. Meyer, S. Novak, A. Younis, W.A. Ahmad, T. Raz

Elaine Marieb College of Nursing Faculty Publication Series

Food animal welfare is an issue of great concern, as society has a responsibility for animals under human care. Pork is the most consumed meat worldwide, with more than a billion pigs being slaughtered globally every year. Still, in most countries, sows are restrained in farrowing crates throughout lactation. In these crates, sows arc confined with bars to an area that is just slightly larger than their body. Thus, moving and turning around, grooming, or expressing other natural behaviors are typically impossible. In this study, we utilized a simple and practical modification of conventional farrowing crates to designed farrowing pens, …