Vu Dinh Ton, Nguyen Thi Phuong Giang, Han Quang Hanh and Vu Tien Viet Dung
Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Vietnam
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Veterinar Sci Techno
Vietnam is one of the largest pork producers in the world, leading to the significance of pig welfare issues. This study was conducted at pig farms in the Red River Delta where there is about 27% of pig population of Vietnam raised in order to assess welfare quality of sows kept in three production systems using the Welfare Quality (2009) protocol. Sows in the semi-intensive production system were kept with a small herd size in individual stalls (51.22% of sows) or small pens (48.78% of sows) in an open housing type and fed with on-farm mixed feeding regime. By contrast, in the intensive and highly intensive production systems, 100% of observed sows were confined entirely in stalls without any bedding in the closed housing condition. Sow welfare quality was influenced by both production systems and seasonal factors. The main welfare issues of sows in the semi-intensive production system were strongly related to housing conditions (such as panting and insufficient water supply with long trough drinker). In the intensive and highly intensive production systems, sows had some problems with shoulder injuries, wound on body and bursitis but at a low prevalence. Sows in three production systems presented a high prevalence of stereotypical behaviors such as bar biting and sham chewing. Season was also a factor influencing on several welfare indicators of sows. There was a trend for increased panting sows in summer and increased proportion of sows showing bar biting and sham chewing behaviors in winter. The improvement of sow welfare quality can be achieved by mainly focusing on environmental ventilation enhancement of sow housing.
Email: vdton@vnua.edu.vn
Veterinary Science & Technology received 4472 citations as per Google Scholar report
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