Leadership amongst pigs when faced with a novel situation.

Leadership is a risky behaviour that can impact individuals and groups. Leaders, i.e.

Third-party intervention and post-conflict behaviour in agonistic encounters of pigs (Sus scrofa).

Background: Third-party interference in agonistic contests entails a deliberate intervention in an ongoing fight by a bystanding individual (third party) and may be followed by post-conflict social behaviour to provide support to a specific individual. The mechanisms behind third-party intervention are, however, still largely understudied. The aim of this study was to investigate third-party interference, with the predictions that (1) the interferer derives benefits from its action by winning a fight, (2) that patterns of intervention depend on familiarity, (3) that dyadic fights last longer than triadic fights, and (4) that interferers engage in non-agonistic social behaviours afterwards.

Effects of preferential social associations on pigs' response to weaning.

Farm animals can form preferential associations within their social group. Research has shown that the presence of familiar conspecifics can help to cope with stressful situations. Nonetheless, whether the strength of the relationship matters is largely unknown.

Piglets' behaviour and performance in relation to sow characteristics.

The importance of maternal care in commercial pig production is largely ignored. The sow has little possibility to interact with her piglets, and piglets are often subjected to early weaning or artificial rearing. This study aimed to investigate aspects of physiological and behavioural maternal provisioning that contribute to offspring outcomes.

Tail posture and motion in relation to natural behaviour in juvenile and adult pigs.

The tail of pigs has been suggested as a welfare indicator as it can provide insight into a pig's behavioural and emotional states. Tail posture and motion have so far mainly been studied in the context of tail biting behaviour. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between pigs' natural behaviour and their tail posture and tail motion.