Effects of farrowing hut design on maternal and thermoregulatory behaviour in outdoor housed sows and piglets

This study aimed to determine the effect of three different farrowing huts on the behaviour of outdoor housed sows and piglets during summer in Eastern Canada, with a focus on thermoregulatory and crushing behaviours. Forty-two second parity sows were housed outdoors in groups of three during lactation (N = 42). Within each group, sows had access to three farrowing huts: a Wood modified A-frame hut, a Plastic round calf hutch, and a Metal ark English-style hut. Cameras were installed in the huts to observe behaviour on days 1, 2, 7 and 14 of lactation. Temperature and humidity were recorded outside and inside the huts. Hourly temperature averages were analysed for the effect of the hut type for day and night separately. Sows farrowed in the huts between August and October and observations of sow and piglet location, posture, nursing, and crushing events were collected in the morning and afternoon. The Wood huts showed the least variation in temperature between days and nights, with the Metal huts showing similar thermal properties to the Wood huts (P