Mixing or regrouping of calves from different pens is a common animal management practice on the farm, which frequently occurs after weaning and has a negative effect on calve welfare. Social integration before regrouping may relieve stresses, but more evidences are needed to verify this...

This study investigates two types of covered piglet creep boxes in a naturally ventilated swine farrowing building with regards to air quality (ammonia and carbon dioxide levels), piglet usage of the box, and piglet health and performance. The covered creep boxes featured either double plastic...

This study aimed to evaluate whether adding straw to a loose-farrowing house promotes maternal functions and production. Forty-eight sows (Landrace × Large White) were housed in either a farrowing pen without straw (C, n=24) or with straw (S, n=24). Behaviors were observed using video recordings...

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of stocking density on growth performance, feather quality, serum hormone, and intestinal development of geese from 1 to 14 d of age. A total of 450 one-day-old geese were randomly allotted to 45 battery cage (0.65 m × 0.62 m) pens according to 5 ...

An excessively high-stocking density can adversely influence performance, health, and welfare of geese. The optimum-stocking density also should be changed with the increase of age and weight in geese. However, the corresponding density parameter is lacking in different feeding phase. The...

This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the boar herd life month (BHLM) in Southern China. A total of 1630 records of culling boars from nine artificial insemination centers were collected from January 2013 to May 2016. A logistic regression model and two linear models were used to...

A high stocking density can have a negatively effect on growth performance, walking ability, and antioxidant capacity of poultry. In geese production, multiple-phase feeding strategy is generally adopted when considering the long raise period for geese. However, the corresponding density parameters ...

This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting boar claw lesions and lameness. A total of 1299 boars were examined for claw lesions and lameness, including 788 boars reared in individual pens with solid concreted floor (IPS) and 511 boars raised in individual stalls with slatted floor (ISS). ...

This study aimed to investigate factors affecting the discarded semen of boars. A total of 176,368 ejaculates of boars from nine AI centers were collected from January 2013 to May 2016 in Southern China. The criteria for determining whether their semen was abnormal included cytoplasmic droplets,...

Clustering of animals at the level of pens, rooms, barns, or farms leads to statistical nonindependence of individual pigs. Failure to consider clustering when determining sample size will result in clinical trials that are too small to detect meaningful differences between intervention groups when ...