The effect of providing shredded paper or ropes to piglets in farrowing crates on their behaviour and health and the behaviour and health of their dams

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of providing paper or rope, alternative enriching substrates to straw, to piglets in farrowing crates on piglet and sow welfare. Sixty multiparous sows and their litters were housed in crates that were either barren (BARREN), enriched with shredded paper (PAPER) or natural fibre rope (ROPE). Enriching substrates were introduced when piglets were 10 days old. The proportion of sows with udder and teat lesions before parturition and at weaning was recorded. Piglet facial lesions were scored according to severity on days 11, 18 and 27. Sow and piglet behaviour was recorded using scan sampling on days 14, 18, 22 and 26. Furthermore, the behaviour of one male and one female focal piglet per litter was recorded continuously for 10 min twice per day on days 14, 18, 22 and 26. On day 27 post-partum, focal piglets were observed for 5 min in a novel arena and for a further 5 min after a novel object was introduced. On day 27, there was a tendency for more BARREN sows to have teat lesions ( P = 0.07). PAPER litters tended to have a smaller proportion of piglets with facial lesions ( P = 0.06). ROPE piglets were active in the enriched area of the crate in more observations than BARREN and PAPER piglets ( P < 0.01). PAPER piglets spent less time inactive ( P < 0.01), less time exploring the pen-fittings ( P < 0.01) and more time interacting with the enriching substrate ( P < 0.001) than piglets in the other two treatments. In the first 5 min in the novel arena BARREN piglets froze more than PAPER and ROPE piglets ( P = 0.05). In conclusion, shredded paper improved piglet welfare and was easily incorporated into the farrowing crates.