Pigs show a large degree of variation in their behavioural and physiological responses to environmental challenges. The variation in behavioural response can be assessed by the degree of resistance displayed early in life in a so-called ‘backtest’. A number of studies in young pigs have demonstrated a relation between a variety of behavioural and physiological features and the degree of resistance. This study aimed at investigating the relation between the backtest response and the development of stereotypies, the circadian rhythm of cortisol, the heart rate response to feeding, and pathological lesions of heart, lungs and stomach in adult breeding gilts housed in groups or stalls. At 10 and 17 days of age, female piglets classified as high-resisting (HR) or low-resisting (LR) based on backtest. They were housed in groups of six (3 HR, 3LR). At 7 months of age, half of the groups were housed in individual stalls. Time spent chain biting by stalled gilts during 2 h afternoon feeding was studied at regular intervals for 21 weeks. At 11 months of age, saliva was collected from all animals every hour during 24 h for coritsol analysis. At 8 and at 12 months of age, heat rate of all animals was measured around afternoon feeding. Pigs were slaughtered at 14 months of age and heart, lungs and stomach were macroscopically examined. In stalls, HR gilts tended to show more chain biting, had lower circadian cortisol concentrations and showed a diminished heart rate response to feed delivery compared to LR gilts. In group-housed gilts, the circadian rhythm of cortisol and the heart rate response to feed delivery did not related to the backtest response. Stall-housed gilts had lower cortisol concentrations than group-housed gilts. The prevalence of pathological lesions was not influenced by backtest response. Stomach wall damage was more severe in stall-housed gilts. The results suggested that stall-housed gilts were chronically stressed as indicated by low level of cortisol and more lesions on stomach wall. High resisting gilts were prone to develop stereotypies in stall-housing.