J. Anim Sci.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ekkel, E. D.
Right arrow Articles by Tielen, M. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ekkel, E. D.
Right arrow Articles by Tielen, M. J.

Journal of Animal Science, Vol 73, Issue 6 1544-1551, Copyright © 1995 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

The Specific-Stress-Free housing system has positive effects on productivity, health, and welfare of pigs

E. D. Ekkel, C. E. van Doorn, M. J. Hessing and M. J. Tielen
Department of Herd Health and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

An experiment was conducted to determine the health, welfare, and growth performance of pigs housed under optimal climatic conditions in a Specific-Stress-Free (SSF) housing system. This system was compared to a conventional housing system with the same climatic conditions. Two identical experimental rooms with five pens each were used. In each room five litters were used for the experiments. The SSF pigs were not mixed or transported, whereas the pigs in the conventional housing system were mixed at weaning and mixed and transported at 25 kg. Average daily gain for the SSF pigs was higher (P < .05) both for the rearing period and for the finishing period (P < .01). Live weight at 143 d was, therefore, higher in the SSF group (95.09 kg vs 84.8 kg, P < .001). Clinical signs were hardly seen in the SSF group, but in the control group high levels of aggression after mixing caused ear, skin, and tail lesions. Cortisol concentration of the saliva was lower in SSF pigs after weaning (P < .01). Seven and 21 d after mixing, the SSF pigs had a higher response to an intradermal injection of phytohemagglutinin (P < .001) than the control pigs. In conclusion, production performance, health, and welfare are improved when pigs are kept in an SSF housing system where they are not mixed or transported.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J ANIM SCIHome page
C. J. Kojima, J. A. Carroll, R. L. Matteri, K. J. Touchette, and G. L. Allee
Effects of weaning and weaning weight on neuroendocrine regulators of feed intake in pigs
J Anim Sci, September 1, 2007; 85(9): 2133 - 2139.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1995 by the American Society of Animal Science.