Food restriction as a cause of stereotypic behaviour in tethered gilts

• DOI: 10.1017/s0003356100036680
• Publication Date: 2010-09-02T16:10:39Z
• Authors: M. C. Appleby; A. B. Lawrence
• Keywords: Allowance (engineering); Large white

Abstract The behaviour of Large White × Landrace gilts tethered in stalls was studied by scan sampling from 07.00 to 17.00 h on 3 days consecutively every 5 weeks. Results are presented 30 sampled during their first weeks the house, period 1, and 36 following 5-week period, 2. Twenty individuals were common both samples. Gilts fed at 08.00 with a pelleted complete diet, either low food levels (1·25 2·00 kg) or high (2·2 4·0 kg). In periods strongly related allowance individual gilts. spent greater proportion time standing position than those (period medians 0·31 0·12 respectively; 2, 0·27 0·11 respectively), more repetitive 0·22 0·04 0·16 0·07 respectively) 0·46 0 0·30 respectively). Similarly, all three measures correlated negatively overall, but there some indication that level had threshold effect, activity occurring below about 2 kg. These results suggest if allowances tether not suitable system housing for pregnant sows.