The individual housing of sows and boars within stalls is still frequent in commercial pork production, especially when the risk for impaired reproduction or welfare is high. Whilst many countries have either removed stall housing in gestation or are working towards this through the successful adoption of group housing, stalls are still used around weaning and mating and in farrowing crates for sows. In this review, we describe the stages in which stall use still occurs and why this is so, with the aim of determining whether stall-free pork production can realistically be achieved through successful industry adoption. Group housing during the period around weaning, oestrus and mating will present several issues such as sow aggression, riding and mounting. This will result in injuries and reduced reproductive performance for the animals, and an unsafe work environment for stock people if not adequately addressed. The second, most obvious stage of the reproductive cycle where stalls are used and removal would result in substantial detriment is in the farrowing crate, where associated high preweaning mortalities still plague both experimental and commercial outcomes. The use of temporary confinement has received renewed interest recently to reduce this mortality, but still involves the strategic use of a stall when piglets are at greatest risk of crushing. To transition towards complete removal of stalls around farrowing, we suggest that space allowance, in combination with animal and staff experience, are areas of opportunity. If the concerns identified during these two final reproductive stages can be addressed to limit poor animal welfare and productivity impacts, the use of stalls could be completely removed from pork production.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2023.101002 | DOI Listing |
Front Nutr
January 2025
College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
Introduction: Frozen pork can reduce the quality of the meat and alter the digestibility and bioavailability of meat proteins in the human body. In this study, we investigated the changes in the basic composition during frozen storage and their effects on the structural properties of digestion products after protein digestion.
Methods: The impacts of frozen storage at different temperatures (-8, -18, -25, and -40°C) and for different times (1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months) on the basic components and digestive characteristics of pork were evaluated.
Heliyon
January 2025
Department of Rural Development and Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Gulu University, P.O Box 166, Gulu, Uganda.
Pork consumption has risen significantly in many emerging nations, prompting diverse pig production systems. This study explored the drivers and barriers to the choices of pig production systems and the challenges confronting pig farmers in Northern Uganda. Data were collected from 240 pig farmers using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using multinomial logit regression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFood Chem X
January 2025
College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, PR China.
The anthocyanin-loaded films based on natural polymers as pH-responsive indicator are widely applied in the food preservation. However, the low mechanical strength and storage stability limited their practical application, there is an urgent demand to improve the performance of anthocyanin-loaded films. In order to avoid affecting the color indication of anthocyanins, we explored the effect of eight kinds of white nanomaterials on improving the performance of films.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTransl Anim Sci
December 2024
Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506-0201, USA.
Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of low acid-binding capacity () specialty soy protein sources on weanling pig performance. In experiment 1, 2,260 pigs, initially weighed 6.7 kg, were used to determine the effects of low ABC soy proteins as a replacement to poultry meal () or spray-dried blood plasma ().
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Weidenbach, Germany.
As global demand for meat continues to rise, alternative and sustainable methods of production are being explored. Cultivated meat (CM) is one such alternative that holds potential for sustainable production with less environmental impact. This study develops an approach to evaluate CM production based on agricultural feedstock.
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