| dc.contributor.author | Kasakumu, Mary | |
| dc.description.abstract | Transportation, including semi-trailer loading and unloading, is known to stress pigs in commercial production. Therefore, strategies for reducing stress experienced by pigs during transportation are needed to reduce poor welfare outcomes. The objective of this thesis was to evaluate the effects of early-life exposure to ramps during the nursery phase on ease of loading and unloading at market. Our results indicate that including a ramp in the nursery pen reduces total time taken by market pigs to ascend a loading ramp to a semi-trailer. Additionally, we were interested in whether inclusion of the ramp in the nursery phase affected nursery behavior and production performance during the nursery and grow-finish phases. Results indicate that ramps in the nursery pen have no effect on behavior and production performance during the nursery period. These results show that presence of a ramp in the nursery eases loading, doesn’t affect pig behavior and growth during the nursery (and) or grow-finish phase. Including a ramp during the nursery phase could mitigate pig stress caused by loading and unloading at marketing. | en_US |
| dc.publisher | North Dakota State University | en_US |
| dc.rights | NDSU policy 190.6.2 | en_US |
| dc.title | Ramped nursery housing of pigs and its effects on behavior during the nursery phase and during trailer loading and unloading at marketing | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-10-31T18:33:36Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-10-31T18:33:36Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-07 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10365/34015 | |
| dc.subject | early life experience | en_US |
| dc.subject | stress | en_US |
| dc.subject | swine | en_US |
| dc.subject | transportation | en_US |
| dc.subject | welfare | en_US |
| dc.rights.uri | https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf | en_US |
| ndsu.degree | Master of Science (MS) | en_US |
| ndsu.college | Science and Mathematics | en_US |
| ndsu.department | Animal Sciences | en_US |
| ndsu.advisor | Byrd, Christopher | |
