Sanitary housing conditions modify the performance and behavioural response of weaned pigs to feed- and housing-related stressors
type: Dataset
description: Pigs are confronted with changes in farming practices that may affect performance and animal well-being. The sanitary conditions of the farm can have an impact on the ability of pigs to adapt to these changes. This study aimed to analyse how weaned pigs respond to common farming practices of changes in diet and housing in terms of performance, health and behaviour, and how these responses are affected by the sanitary housing conditions, qualified here as good or poor. At weaning at 4 weeks of age, 20 piglets were assigned to 10 blocks of two littermates and each pig within a litter was randomly assigned to one of two sanitary conditions. Pigs were housed individually and received a starter diet. A diet change occurred on day 12 post weaning (starter to weaner diets) and pigs were transferred to the grower unit on day 33 post weaning and continued to receive the weaner diet. From 43 days post weaning, pigs were offered a grower diet and were vaccinated against swine influenza on day 47 and 61 post weaning. On the basis of this design, three post-weaning phases were identified: phase I from day 1 to 11 (post weaning), phase II from day 12 to 32 (after the diet change) and phase III from day 33 to 42 (after the housing change). Individual BW was measured every 3 days, and feed refusals and faecal scores were recorded on a daily basis. Behavioural observations were performed during 28 days by using the instantaneous scan sampling method. Individual blood samples were collected at the end of each phase to analyse the plasma concentration of haptoglobin and on day 68 post weaning to analyse the anti-influenza immunoglobulins G (IgG). Poor sanitary conditions resulted in a decrease in daily gain, feed intake and gain to feed ratio of, respectively, 11%, 5% and 7% (P < 0.05). Pigs in poor sanitary conditions had higher faecal scores (P < 0.05), tended to have higher plasma haptoglobin concentration in phase II (P = 0.06) and had a higher anti-influenza IgG titre (P = 0.11).…
landing page: 1751-7311
keyword: agriculture-dairy--animal-science
keyword: behaviour
keyword: feed-intake
keyword: growth
keyword: infoeu-reposemanticsarticle
keyword: journal-articles
keyword: pig
keyword: sanitary-conditions
keyword: sdvsaspalife-sciences-q-bioagricultural-sciencesanimal-production-studies
issued: 2026-05-10T11:40:43.625369
modified: 2026-05-10T11:40:43.625374
language: en
contact point: Organization
  fn: CCSD

test_moissonnage_selune
type: Agent

Sanitary housing conditions modify the performance and behavioural response of weaned pigs to feed- and housing-related stressors
type: Distribution
format: HTML
access URL: https://institut-agro-rennes-angers.hal.science/hal-00841107
issued: 2026-05-10T11:40:43.639854
modified: 2026-05-10T11:40:43.613991