Farmscape for December 3, 2021
A Research Scientist with the Prairie Swine Center says pork producers have multiple options available for enriching the environment of pigs.
As part of research conducted on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc, a multi-disciplinary team of scientists has examined the potential benefits of enrichment.
"Appropriate Enrichment for Sows and Growing Pigs" was discussed last month as part of Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2021.
Dr. Jennifer Brown, a Research Scientist Ethology with the Prairie Swine Centre, describes Enrichment as anything that improves the biological function of the pigs.
Clip-Dr. Jennifer Brown-Prairie Swine Centre:
Most of our barns are largely made out of concrete and it is difficult to provide things that they can manipulate without causing problems, either destroying it or, in the case of sub-straights like straw, putting it in the manure pit.
So, enrichment can be a lot of different things.
It doesn't have to be actual physical objects.
It can be handling or providing other things in their environment, even odors, but generally it's things that pigs can interact with and manipulate.
Interest in this, part of it comes from societal concerns about how we manage pigs and the barren environment that they have and the recognition that they are intelligent animals and motivated to perform some of these behaviors.
From the research side we know that it can provide benefits in terms of both they physical health of the animals and reducing stress in animals.
So, there's increasing interest and then also through our codes of practice.
When it came out in 2014, our code of practice requires that we do some enrichment in all stages of production and not just finisher pigs.
Dr. Brown says, depending on the stage of development, we've got different options but providing enrichments to pigs at an early stage will stimulate natural behavior and help prevent negative behaviors.
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Bruce Cochrane.
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