Short project description

Animal welfare focus is currently shifting from the mere prevention of suffering to also enabling animals to have positive experiences. Correspondingly, the focus of animal welfare research shifts from the study of negative experiences to the study of positive experiences, and novel indicators of positive animal welfare are being proposed to be used in on-farm welfare assessment.

When animals are in environments that they prefer and value, it is expected that they show signs of positive experiences. Suggested indicators of positive experiences in pigs are e.g. tail postures (Camerlink et al., 2020; DOI10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105079). Pigs have a strong motivation to root in relation to foraging (Studnitz et al., 2007; doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2006.11.013). Preference studies have shown that pigs prefer rooting material that a varied and heterogenous, such as a roughage, over straw (Jensen et al., 2007; doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2006.10.014). Therefore, to identify indicators of positive animal welfare, pigs in situations with free access to an attractive rooting material will be observed.

As part of a larger study conducted at the facilities at AU, campus Viborg, pigs will have access to a large outdoor area with roughage. The thesis project will investigate the behaviour of pigs in an area with free access to foraging in roughage and compare the behaviour of these pigs with the behaviour of pigs a foraging on a concentrated feed. The student will help develop an ethogram, record, and analyse data. The student will be based in AU Viborg and be part of a research team.