Evaluation of welfare and productivity in pregnant sows kept in stalls or in 2 different group housing systems

Abstract One hundred eighty pregnant sows ( Sus scrofa ), from first to ninth parity, on a commercial farm were selected and used in 3 different replicates (60 sows per replicate). Sows were housed from day 29 of pregnancy to 1 week before parturition in conventional stalls, in groups of 10 with trickle feeding or in groups of 20 with an unprotected electronic sow feeder (Fitmix; 20 sows per housing system per replicate). All the sows were equally feed restricted. Behavior, acute-phase protein (APP) plasma levels, and productivity were assessed. General activity and stereotypies were measured by scan-sampling observation at different times of the day on 11 nonconsecutive days. Overall, sows in groups with Fitmix showed an increase in resting behavior and a greater decrease in the frequency of oronasofacial stereotypies than sows in groups fed by trickle feeding ( P P P