Browsing by Subject "Partly slatted floor"

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Vergleich zweier Mastschweinehaltungssysteme - Beurteilung der Tiergerechtheit
(2004) Bea, Wolfgang; Jungbluth, Thomas
Housing systems for fattening pigs nowadays have to meet a variety of demands concerning the social, political and productional situation. Especially systems, which allow the cost-saving use of existing buildings, an up-to-date production and meet at the same time the needs of the pigs as well as the environment. This shows interesting alternatives to conventional housing systems. The object of this work was a comparison between two housing systems for fattening pigs, concerning animal welfare. A conventional system (VSP), with forced ventilation, underfloor extraction and fully slatted floor, which was enhanced concerning the animal welfare through more space for each fattener and through building in an occupational technique. Compared to compartment VSP was a far more developed, alternative housing system (GK), which stands out through separated climatic areas, natural ventilation and kennels. The conception of the alternative system GK was based on the conversion of existing housing systems with forced ventilation. Both methods were installed parallel. Both housing systems were identical concerning the animals origins, the animal-care, the feeding, the occupational possibilities, the slurry management and the room measurements. Both studies were carried out close to practical scale. Examined were aspects of the lying behaviour, the belly nosing, the playing and explora-tional behaviour, the influences on the tegument, the health, the soiling of the fatteners and pen floors and the performance of the fatteners. The lying behaviour of the animals, concerning the total period of lying was in tendency shorter in compartment GK, than in compartment VSP. The place of rest changed with in-creasing temperature through the different climatic areas from inside the kennels to the other functional areas of the pen. Due to the forced ventilation in compartment VSP, no change of resting place was possible. The lying position changed with increasing inside temperature in compartment GK, not so in compartment VSP. No relation at all could be detected between indoor gas concentrations and the resting position or position of the snout inside or outside the kennels. The Belly Nosing, which is judged as a substitute for explorational behaviour, could be observed significantly more often and for longer periods of time in compartment VSP, than in compartment GK. Playing behaviour could be observed in both compartments from 30 - 35 kg and 70 - 75 kg live weight. Fatteners with around 110 kg live weight showed playing behaviour only in compartment GK. Statistically, frequency and duration of the playing behaviour could not be distinguished in both compartments. The exploration at the social partners did occur extremely less frequent and less long in com-partment GK, than in compartment VSP. This shows that in the well structured pens of com-partment GK, the fattening pigs normal behaviour concerning exploration is far more frequent. The occupation technique in both housing systems were attractive to the animals throughout the fattening period, but wasn´t frequented as often in compartment GK, than in compartment VSP. The duration of explorational actions could statistically not be distinguished. The exploration at the pen equipment seemed to be equalled with the exploration at the occupation technique. Under the aspect of health cough and medication were examined. Any statistical differences between the two housing systems could not be found. This means, that also in free ventilated systems, healthy animals can be kept. The animals gained with over 800 g per day a very high performance in both housing systems. The tendency to a better performance could be detected in compartment GK. The examination of both housing systems showed in aspects of the lying-behaviour, the Belly Nosing, the playing and explorational behaviour, slight advantages in the compartment GK due to separate climatic areas and the structured pens concerning a realization of animal friendly solutions, in comparison with compartment VSP with fully slatted floor and forced ventilation. The damages occurred at the undocked tails of the animals, as well as the heavy soiling of the penfloors and the fatteners themselves in compartment GK, show the necessity to better the dimensions and the structure of the pens. In conclusion it can be established, that the alternative housing system GK with natural ventilation, separated climatic areas and kennels seems to be very good and suitable under the given, very positive circumstances of the examination to comply with the requests of animal welfare. Nevertheless were the results of compartment VSP concerning the examined parameters under the given, very good experimental conditions, better than expected.