Influence of pen design and space allowance on tail biting in weaning piglets

Abstract

Previous trial setups already demonstrated the efficacy of enrichment materials and objects and an open water trough, installed in conventional pens of undocked weaners with simultaneously reduced stocking density. The behavioural disorder tail biting was significantly reduced by these measures. But the reduction of the stocking density is expensive and difficult to implement, especially for piglet producers. For this, the impact of space allowance on the occurrence of tail biting has been tested. In this experimental setup, conventional pens (one enrichment object, 0.35 m² per animal) were compared to affluent enriched pens with 0.5 m and 0.35 m² per animal. The results confirmed the positive effect of various enrichments on the development of tail biting. The differences of the frequencies of tail lesions between the enriched pens with normal and reduced stocking density proved to be low.