Foraging behaviour of gestating sows on pasture and damages to vegetation cover are influenced by restriction of concentrate feed

Abstract One of the main challenges of outdoor pig production systems is their potential environmental impact due to direct deposition of pigs’ excreta on the land that can lead to nitrate leaching. However, plants can recycle nutrients, and a sufficient vegetation cover can mitigate adverse environmental impacts of outdoor pigs. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of concentrate feed restriction on gestating sows foraging behaviour and ensuing damages caused to vegetation cover in a pasture-based system. Ten groups of three sows were randomly assigned to two concentrate feed levels, supplying either 90% (P90) or 40% (P40) of metabolizable energy requirements, from week 5 of gestation until farrowing. All groups of sows were housed at a density of 8 sows/ha in a rotational pasture system including a permanent area and three 25 × 50-m legume-grass pasture plots, which could be accessed in rotation for periods of 2 to 3 weeks. Posture and location of sows were assessed at weeks 8–9, 12–13 and 15 of gestation using data loggers. During the same weeks, video recordings were made when the sows were at pasture, in order to determine their time spent foraging. Vegetation cover of pasture plots was determined at the beginning and end of the grazing periods using a method based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-acquired image processing. In the second half of gestation, P40 sows spent 60% more time active on pasture than P90 sows during the daytime (P