Open-field test behavior of growing swine maintained on a concrete floor and a pasture

• Published in: Applied animal behaviour science Vol. 16; no. 2; pp. 143 - 148
• Main Authors: Taylor, Lathrop, Friend, T.H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 1986
• Subjects: animal behavior; concrete; floors; pastures; swine; swine housing
• ISSN: 0168-1591; 1872-9045
• DOI: 10.1016/0168-1591(86)90106-1

Open-field test behaviors of 5 barrows and 5 gilts from each of two housing treatments ( N = 20) were recorded for 5-min periods. The hogs had been housed in their respective systems (pasture or concrete floor) for 6 weeks and averaged 18 weeks old at the time of the experiment. The 38 × 198-m pasture (P) contained approximately 70% grass of grazeable length and housed 49 pigs. The 3.7 × 7.6-m concrete feeding floor (FF) was located in an open-front building and housed 34 pigs. The open-field tests were conducted in a 3 × 12-m enclosure on pasture. Data collected include time spent chewing, grazing, nudging, sniffing or rooting, number of vocalizations, and time spent lying, standing walking or trotting. FF pigs spent more time grazing and chewing than did P pigs. Standing time was also greater for FF pigs. Only P pigs lay down during the test period. These findings suggest an increased specific-action potential for grazing behaviors resulted from maintaining the hogs in an indoor housing facility.