Research Shows Sows Housed on Straw Perform Longer than Sows Housed on Concrete

December 26, 2007 — 

Research at the University of Manitoba's National Centre for Livestock and the Environment shows the longevity of sows housed on straw tends to be better than that of sows housed on partially slatted concrete floors.

Scientists at the Centre are comparing the conventional partially slatted concrete floors to an alternative straw based system, looking at animal behavior, health and production performance. Department of Animal Science head Dr. Laurie Connor reports culling rates in the group housed on concrete have been about ten percent higher than in the group housed on straw.

Source:
Farmscape, December 6, 2007 (Episode 2674)