Behaviour of pigs submitted to different grazing systems in white clover pasture

[摘要] This work aimed to study the behaviour of pigs submitted to different grazing systems (continuous, alternated or rotational) in white-clover (Trifolium repens L.) pasture and fed ad libitum. Thirty-six finishing pigs, castrated males, averaging 80 kg were used. The behaviour activities (feeding, grazing, drinking, standing, laying, sitting, walking, urinating, defecating, playing, itching, rooting, and digging) were recorded by visual observations during three consecutive days, from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The experiment was analyzed as a complete randomized blocks, with three treatments and three replicates. The observations were made every 10 minutes and the number of animals and the respective activities on each grazing system were recorded. Lying, drinking, feed intake, grazing and walking were the activities that showed higher frequencies, regardless of the grazing system. Pigs on alternated grazing system showed higher frequency feed intake activity than pigs on continuous or rotational grazing systems. During the first day of observation, pigs on continuous or rotational grazing systems showed higher frequency grazing activity than pigs on alternated system. The pigs on continuous and rotational grazing systems showed similar behaviour activities. The behaviour of growing pigs was affected by the grazing system.

[学科分类] 兽医学

[关键词] forage;growing pigs;outdoor pig    IntroduçãoA intensificação da produção de suínos em confinamento;com a modernização das técnicas de manejo e dos equipamentos utilizados durante as últimas décadas;tem gerado nos animais sérios distúrbios comportamentais de agressividade (Mcglone;1985; Simonsen;1990) e estereotipias;como excessivo ato de fuçar;mastigar;mamar e/ou morder a cauda dos companheiros de baias (Andresen & Redbo;1999)