‘Kindergarten’ keeping-system in farrowing house: effect the socialization of piglets on weight performances, fecal cortisol metabolite level and post-weaning behavior

NOVOTNI-DANKÓ, Gabriella, HUZSVAI, László, HUSZENICZA-KULCSÁR, Margit, GYÖRI, Zsolt, JANKOWIAK, Hanna, VÁCLAVKOVÁ, Eva and BALOGH, Péter. ‘Kindergarten’ keeping-system in farrowing house: effect the socialization of piglets on weight performances, fecal cortisol metabolite level and post-weaning behavior. Acta Agraria Debreceniensis, 2021, vol. 2021(1), p. 167-174. ISSN 1587-1282.
Year2021
CathegoryPublication in specialized journals
Internal link21114.pdf
Abstract

This study aimed to examine whether litters’ let-together system before weaning (‘kindergarten-system’) has any stress effect and effect on post-weaning behavior, respectively. One week before weaning piglets were socialized by removing four adjacent farrowing crate walls. After weaning, piglets from the same experimental groups were housed in the same rearing crates.There were no significant differences in weight development and cortisol metabolite levels between the control and experimental groups. Behavioral analysis showed that pigs grow up in a socialized system, rapidly evolve ranking in the rearing crates, and the self-maintenance and social behavior were more pronounced.Recent work suggested the beneficial effect of the ‘kindergarten’ system in the farrowing house in animal welfare aspects.