Use of a box to prevent agonistic behavior after regrouping in isolated and non‐isolated pigs

Abstract

ABSTRACT The effects of a box in the pen on the agonistic behavior of pigs after regrouping was determined in 24 pigs from five litters that were kept in three pens after weaning. For the experiment, the pigs were allocated to six pens with four animals each and kept with their peers for 2 weeks. The lightest pig from each pen was removed and isolated for 2 weeks, and then regrouped with its original peers. At the time of regrouping, half of the pens were equipped with the box. The number and duration of agonistic behavior events were particularly large and long in the pen without a box on the first day after regrouping, and for the isolated pig on the first day (all P < 0.05). The number of times the box was accessed was large for the isolated pig on the first day after regrouping ( P < 0.01). The number of agonistic behavior events and the times the box was accessed was correlated on the first day after regrouping ( r s = 0.79, P < 0.01). The number of agonistic behavior events on the first day after regrouping was greater in the pens without a box than in the pens with a box ( P < 0.01). It was suggested that the box had the effect of reducing agonistic behavior after regrouping.