This book offers a detailed overview of best practices to improve the welfare of growing and finishing pigs, focussing on elements of nutrition, behaviour, housing, transport and handling.
Chapter 1 - Optimizing pig welfare in the growing and finishing stage: Arlene Garcia and John J. McGlone, Texas Tech University, USA; 1 Introduction 2 Pig behavioral issues that impact pig welfare 3 Production systems 4 Group size 5 Living conditions in indoor systems 6 Animal health and animal care 7 Conclusion and future trends in research 8 Where to look for further information 9 References Chapter 2 - Welfare of pigs during finishing: Jonathan Amory, Writtle University College, UK; and Nina Wainwright, British Pig Executive (BPEX), UK; 1 Introduction 2 Nutrition management and welfare of finishing pigs 3 Physical and social environment and welfare of finishing pigs 4 Environmental enrichment and tail-biting 5 Practical welfare assessment of finisher pigs 6 Future trends 7 Conclusion 8 Where to look for further information 9 References Chapter 3 - Optimising pig welfare during transport, lairage and slaughter: Luigi Faucitano, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada; and Antonio Velarde, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology, Spain; 1 Introduction 2 Welfare during transport 3 Welfare in lairage 4 Welfare during stunning and slaughter 5 Animal welfare audit protocols 6 Conclusion and future trends 7 Where to look for further information 8 References Chapter 4 - Optimising the health of finisher pigs: Edgar Garcia Manzanilla, Pig Development Department, Teagasc, The Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority, Ireland; 1 Introduction 2 How to measure pig health in growerfinisher phase 3 Types of farms 4 Animal flow 5 Stocking density 6 The importance of transfer weight and the transition diet 7 General control of infectious diseases 8 Infectious vs. non-infectious diseases 9 Conclusion 10 Where to look for further information 11 References
