Carefulness and flexibility of lying down behaviour in sows during 24 h post-partum in relation to piglet position

POKORNÁ, Z., ILLMANNOVÁ, G., ŠIMEČKOVÁ, M., CHALOUPKOVÁ, H. & KRATINOVÁ, P. Carefulness and flexibility of lying down behaviour in sows during 24 h post-partum in relation to piglet position. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2008, roč. 114, s. 346-358.
POKORNÁ, Zuzana, ILLMANN, Gudrun, ŠIMEČKOVÁ, Marie, CHALOUPKOVÁ, Helena and KRATINOVÁ, Petra. Carefulness and flexibility of lying down behaviour in sows during 24 h post-partum in relation to piglet position. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2008, 114, 346-358. ISSN 0168-1591.
Year2008
CathegoryScientific publication in impacted journals
Internal link8158.pdf
Abstract

Our study suggests that a sow?s carefulness during standing-to-lying events follows a similar time course in the first 24 h postpartum as her general activity. Sows performed more pre-lying behaviour when piglets were nearby and when they were clusteredat all times during 24 h after birth of the first piglet. A higher carefulness score and no piglets in danger zone factor decreased significantly the probability of piglet crushing. Further research should focus on the mechanisms, which decrease the probability that piglets are present in the danger zone and, specifically, on sow and piglet communication during the pre-lying behaviour.