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The effect of providing a high fibre diet on foraging behaviour of outdoor sows and consequent pasture damage

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

J P Braund
Affiliation:
Scottish Agricultural College 581 King Street, Aberdeen, AB9 1UD
S A Edwards
Affiliation:
Scottish Agricultural College 581 King Street, Aberdeen, AB9 1UD
I Riddoch
Affiliation:
Scottish Agricultural College 581 King Street, Aberdeen, AB9 1UD
L Buckner
Affiliation:
Scottish Agricultural College 581 King Street, Aberdeen, AB9 1UD
J Roden
Affiliation:
University of Aberdeen, 581 King Street, Aberdeen, AB9 1UD
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Extract

Food restricted sows under extensive conditions forage for considerable periods of time and this can give rise to serious pasture damage. This pasture damage can be diminished by the reduction of rooting behaviours. In the past this has been achieved by nose ringing but, due to welfare implications, the emphasis has now been shifted onto alternative methods such as nutritional modification. This rooting behaviour is, in part, caused by hunger (feed motivation) and it has been demonstrated that this feed motivation can be manipulated by short-term changes in food level and type (Brouns et al 1994; Edwards et al, 1993; Ewbank, 1974).

The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of feeding a fibrous diet (containing 600 g/kg unmolassed sugarbeet pulp) either at a restricted or ad libitum level, on foraging behaviour and the consequences of this for pasture damage.

Type
Pig Behaviour
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 1995

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References

Brouns, F, Edwards, S A, English, P R 1994. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 39: 215223.10.1016/0168-1591(94)90157-0CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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Ewbank, R 1974. Proc 3rd Congress IPVS, Lyon.Google Scholar
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