Comparison of Management Factors Affecting Aggression in Group Housed Sows

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on January 1, 2007

Group housing of sows during gestation involves some degree of aggression when the groups are formed. Although short-lived, this aggression results in scratches to the animals and may affect the farrowing rate. The objectives of this study were to reduce the level of aggression among sows re-grouped within a few days of breeding, using five experimental social treatments. The Familiar treatment appears to have the most potential for reducing aggression. The relatively short fights among familiar sows probably represents reinforcement of social position rather than the establishment of a new hierarchy. The Dominant treatment, which involved the presence of three older animals from a well-established social order, tended to have fewer aggressive events, particularly on the 1st day of group formation. The Exposed treatment, in which the sows had spent 48 hrs together after weaning, but before being stalled for breeding, did reduce the level of injuries, but did not reduce the incidence of aggression compared to the Control group except on the first day. This study also confirmed that providing protective stalling during re-grouping was ineffective on the aggression and the injuries among re-grouped sows.

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