Abstract
Increasing demands on animal welfare and the higher temperatures in summer due to climate change make it necessary to adapt conventional pig husbandry systems. A cooled, solid lying area has the potential to increase lying comfort and reduce the heat stress, which improves animal welfare. In the present study, the effect of a cooled, solid lying area on lying and elimination behavior was investigated. In two fattening compartments, eight pens with 28 pigs each were rebuilt. Two pen designs, different in feeder place and type, were tested. The floor was cooled from 24.5 to 20 °C by cool water in half of the pens. A total of 672 fattening pigs were tested over three fattening periods. The lying behavior was recorded by video analysis three times per week and three times per day. In the pens with a cooled lying area, 14% (SED 2.9; p = 0.002), respectively 12% (SED 0.9; p = 0.0382) more pigs were lying on the solid lying area. Additionally, the fouling of the animals was reduced by the cooling in one pen design; the results were derived from weekly scores (0.42 vs. 0.67; SED 0.058 p = 0.0006). The fouling of the pen was not affected by the floor cooling, however, the fouling in all pens was very low.
Highlights
The demands on animal welfare in German pig farming have increased over the last few years and various animal welfare labels have been introduced
The main problem with solid areas in pig housing systems is the fouling of the solid surface [5,6] and the resulting poor indoor air quality and an increased workload because the surfaces usually must be cleaned by hand
The results show that a cooled, solid lying area leads to a higher percentage of pigs lying in this lying area—even if the indoor temperature is too high
Summary
The demands on animal welfare in German pig farming have increased over the last few years and various animal welfare labels have been introduced These entail requirements to increase the animal welfare in conventional pig husbandry systems, such as a lower stocking density, offering materials to explore and manipulate, outdoor climate stimuli or solid surfaces in the lying area [1]. If the housing environment allows, pigs separate their elimination, feeding and lying area [7,8] Factors such as a high stocking density [9], draft in the lying area [10] or high ambient temperatures [6,11] can lead to a higher risk of fouling of the lying area
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