2017: a year in the global pig industry
2017 has been a challenging and exciting year for the pig industry. In case you missed anything, here on The Pig Site we’ll be looking back at some of our favourite articles from the last 12 months. First up...
1 December 2017
2 minute read
By: Pig pens: a look at mirrors and mats
26 June 2017
What a pig sees when it looks into a mirror may help Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists improve livestock housing.
Studying livestock behaviour, stress and other well-being and production factors is the job of animal scientist Jeremy Marchant-Forde and his colleagues at the ARS Livestock Behaviour Research Unit in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Dr Marchant-Forde investigates the use of mirrors and mats in improving the environment pigs are kept. This information could help in reducing stress, which in turn, enhances well-being, growth and efficiency, and decreases disease susceptibility.
Read the full article here
Image: Shelly Deboer
Emily Houghton
Emily Houghton is a Zoology graduate from Cardiff University and was the editor of The Pig Site from October 2017 to May 2020. Emily has worked in livestock husbandry, and has written, conducted and assisted with research projects regarding the synthesis of welfare and productivity of free-range food species.
