Pig enrichments analysed in new Quality of Life handbook
Canada’s Prairie Swine Centre located in Saskatchewan province has produced a ‘Quality of Life’ handbook for producers, with loads of tips on how to enhance animal welfare. It comes with a comprehensive analysis of possible pig pen enrichments.
The handbook, subtitled ‘The use of environmental enrichment’, was supported by a host of different provincial pork organisations, including SaskPork, Alberta Pork, Manitoba Pork, Ontario Pork, as well as the government of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan.
The book includes easy and low-cost suggestions to introduce positive human interaction, socialising pigs pre-weaning with other litters, increased space allowance and various types of environmental enrichments.
Overview of enrichments for pig pens
The last section of the handbook provides an overview of enrichments for each phase of production, including what kinds of effects were seen in research trials in specific production phases. The handbook explains that enrichments can take various forms:
- Physical – altering enclosures or adding accessories like objects, substrates or permanent structures.
- Social – indirect, like olfactory, visual, auditory; or direct contact with other pigs or humans.
- Nutritional – novel or varied food types or changing the method of food delivery.
- Occupational – challenges or devices that encourage exercise and psychological enrichment.
- Sensory – music, smells, visual, tactile and taste stimuli.
“Objects found around the barn may be useful, such as untreated wood, chains, cardboard boxes, rope and burlap,” the authors wrote in their introduction to the handbook. “Suspended enrichments are the most common form in slatted floor systems as they do not get as dirty.”
Pig welfare professorship retained
The position of Swine Welfare Research Chair at the University of Saskatchewan was recently renewed until 2030. The position will remain filled by Dr Yolande Seddon, associate professor in swine behaviour and welfare at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan.
This position is supported by 14 industry partners. The national research agency Swine Innovation Porc recently contributed funding to the position and further investments over the next 5 years are expected. During her first term, Dr Seddon supervised 22 people, including post-doctoral fellows, PhD students and undergraduates.
Pig welfare developments in Ontario
Ontario Pork has made a call for proposals for research projects that meet the overarching objectives of testing potential improvements to swine industry practices and assessing greenhouse gas emissions from swine barns.
Those projects will be mainly carried out at the Ontario Swine Research Centre, a facility opened in 2023 and managed by the University of Guelph.
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