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Intensive Pig Farming
Intensive pig farming, also known as pig factory farming, is the primary method of pig production, in which grower pigs are housed indoors in group-housing or straw-lined sheds in establishments also known as piggeries, whilst pregnant sows are housed in gestation crates or pens and give birth in farrowing crates. The use of gestation crates for pregnant sows has lowered birth production costs; Gestation crates or individual stalls are used as a way to nurture the animals and protect them first during pregnancy. Because the animals are vulnerable during this time, with some sows more aggressive than others, the practice of separating the animals in crates keeps them from fighting and injuring each other. In addition, the case has also been made that crates make it easier for hog farmers to monitor individual sow health and administer vaccines as needed. Many of the world's largest producers of pigs ( US, China, and Mexico) use gestation crates. The European Union has banned t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gestation Crates 5
Gestation is the period of development during the carrying of an embryo, and later fetus, inside viviparous animals (the embryo develops within the parent). It is typical for mammals, but also occurs for some non-mammals. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time, for example in a multiple birth. The time interval of a gestation is called the ''gestation period''. In obstetrics, ''gestational age'' refers to the time since the onset of the last menses, which on average is fertilization age plus two weeks. Mammals In mammals, pregnancy begins when a zygote (fertilized ovum) implants in the female's uterus and ends once the fetus leaves the uterus during labor or an abortion (whether induced or spontaneous). Humans In humans, pregnancy can be defined clinically, biochemically or biologically. Clinically, pregnancy starts from first day of the mother's last period. Biochemically, pregnancy starts when a woman's human chorionic gonadotropin (hC ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stillborn
Stillbirth is typically defined as fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without signs of life. A stillbirth can often result in the feeling of guilt or grief in the mother. The term is in contrast to miscarriage, which is an early pregnancy loss, and sudden infant death syndrome, where the baby dies a short time after being born alive. Often the cause is unknown. Causes may include pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia and birth complications, problems with the placenta or umbilical cord, birth defects, infections such as malaria and syphilis, and poor health in the mother. Risk factors include a mother's age over 35, smoking, drug use, use of assisted reproductive technology, and first pregnancy. Stillbirth may be suspected when no fetal movement is felt. Confirmation is by ultrasound. Worldwide prevention of most stillbirths is possible with improved health systems. Around half of stillbirths oc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anaerobic Lagoon
An anaerobic lagoon or manure lagoon is a man-made outdoor earthen basin filled with animal waste that undergoes anaerobic respiration as part of a system designed to manage and treat refuse created by concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Anaerobic lagoons are created from a manure slurry, which is washed out from underneath the animal pens and then piped into the lagoon. Sometimes the slurry is placed in an intermediate holding tank under or next to the barns before it is deposited in a lagoon. Once in the lagoon, the manure settles into two layers: a solid or sludge layer and a liquid layer. The manure then undergoes the process of anaerobic respiration, whereby the volatile organic compounds are converted into carbon dioxide and methane. Anaerobic lagoons are usually used to pretreat high strength industrial wastewaters and municipal wastewaters. This allows for preliminary sedimentation of suspended solids as a pretreatment process. Anaerobic lagoons have been show ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wean
Weaning is the process of gradually introducing an infant human or other mammal to what will be its adult diet while withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk. In the UK, weaning primarily refers to the introduction of solid foods at 6 months; in the US, it primarily refers to stopping breastfeeding. The process takes place only in mammals, as only mammals produce milk. The infant is considered to be fully weaned once it is no longer fed by any breast milk (or bottled substitute). Humans In some cultures, weaning progresses with the introduction of feeding the child food that has been prechewed by the parent along with continued breastfeeding, a practice known as premastication. The practice was important throughout human history in that it naturally gave a child a greatly improved protein source in addition to preventing iron deficiency. However, premasticated food from caregivers of lower socioeconomic status in areas of endemic diseases can result in the passing of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anesthetic
An anesthetic (American English) or anaesthetic (British English; see spelling differences) is a drug used to induce anesthesia — in other words, to result in a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. They may be divided into two broad classes: general anesthetics, which result in a reversible loss of consciousness, and local anesthetics, which cause a reversible loss of sensation for a limited region of the body without necessarily affecting consciousness. A wide variety of drugs are used in modern anesthetic practice. Many are rarely used outside anesthesiology, but others are used commonly in various fields of healthcare. Combinations of anesthetics are sometimes used for their synergistic and additive therapeutic effects. Adverse effects, however, may also be increased. Anesthetics are distinct from analgesics, which block only sensation of painful stimuli. Analgesics are typically used in conjunction with anesthetics to control pre-, intra-, and postop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tail Biting In Pigs
Tail biting in pigs is an abnormal behavior whereby a pig uses its teeth to bite, chew or orally manipulate another pigs's tail. Tail biting is used to describe a range in severity from light manipulation of the tail to physically harming the tail, causing infection, amputation or even harming areas surrounding the tail. Tail biting typically occurs under the following conditions: indoor facility with a high density of pigs housed in a confined area (like a pen); lack of a substrate material; poor ventilation system, or poor feed quality and accessibility. There are three types of tail biting: two-stage, sudden forceful, and obsessive. The type of tail biting is based on the behaviors of each the biter and victim, physical consequences of the bite, and conditions under which the biting happens. A common cause of tail biting is due to pigs feeling stressed or discomfort and are looking for something to divert their attention. Some other causes of tail biting involve possible breed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is also well documented, both in ancient and in recent times. The rate of cannibalism increases in nutritionally poor environments as individuals turn to members of their own species as an additional food source.Elgar, M.A. & Crespi, B.J. (1992) ''Cannibalism: ecology and evolution among diverse taxa'', Oxford University Press, Oxford ngland New York. Cannibalism regulates population numbers, whereby resources such as food, shelter and territory become more readily available with the decrease of potential competition. Although it may benefit the individual, it has been shown that the presence of cannibalism decreases the expected survival rate of the whole population and increases the risk of consuming a relative. Other negative effects may include the increa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Teeth Clipping
Teeth clipping in pigs is a management practice in which the sharp tips of newborn piglets' teeth are trimmed or filed to reduce the risk of injury to sows during nursing and minimize aggression-related injuries among piglets. Piglets are born with erupted teeth, in order to avoid sow teat injury and damage between piglets, some farms clip their deciduous teeth. Lesions caused by piglet teeth are superficial and mortality is lower among pigs that don't undergo painful procedures, including teeth clipping. Disadvantages The benefits of teeth clipping do not exceed the negative aspects. Some of the disadvantages of teeth clipping are: * Piglets may stop eating due to pain * Antibiotic overuse * Decreased weight gain * Hemorrhage(blood loss) * Teeth fracture * Gum damage * Abscess * Mouth infections * Joint infections * Systemic infections * Lethargy due to infection * Higher stress and cortisol which reduces mucle mass in pigs Ethics The procedure is painful and produces chron ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Docking (animal)
Docking is the intentional removal of part of an animal's tail or, sometimes, ears. The term cropping is more commonly used in reference to the cropping of ears, while ''docking'' more commonly—but not exclusively—refers to the tail; the term tailing is used, also. The term has its origins in the living flesh of the tail, commonly known as the dock, from which the animal's tail hairs grow. Pigs Tail-docking in pigs is typically carried out without anesthetic when the piglet is three to four days old, causing acute trauma and pain. Commercially raised domestic pigs kept in close quarters have their tails docked to prevent chewing or biting each other's tails. Pig producers in Brazil and Thailand have stopped tail docking for animal welfare reasons. Routine tail-docking without anesthesia has been illegal in the EU since 1994. The Council Directive 2008/120/EC of 18 December 2008 laying down minimum standards for the protection of pigs prohibited all tail-docking of pigs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Earmark (agriculture)
An earmark is a cut or mark in the ear of livestock animals such as cattle, deer, pigs, goats, camels or sheep, made to show ownership, year of birth or sex. The term dates to the 16th century in England. For example, in a case of defamation in King's Bench in 1541, the defamatory statement included "George Butteler hath eremarked a mare of one Robert Hawk." The practice existed in the Near East up to the time of Islam. Against this, in Q. 4:119 the Qur'an quotes the Devil promising, ""I will mislead them, I will entice them, I will command them to ''mark the ears of livestock'', and I will command them to distort the creation of God." Earmarks are typically registered when a stock owner registers a livestock brand for their use. There are many rules and regulations concerning the use of earmarks between states and countries. Tasmanian sheep and cattle must be earmarked before they become six months old. Generally the owner’s earmark is placed in a designated ear of a camel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castration
Castration is any action, surgery, surgical, chemical substance, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses use of the testicles: the male gonad. Surgical castration is bilateral orchiectomy (excision of both testicles), while chemical castration uses pharmaceutical drugs to deactivate the testes. Some forms of castration cause sterilization (medicine), sterilization (permanently preventing the castrated person or animal from reproduction, reproducing); it also greatly reduces the production of hormones, such as testosterone and estrogen. Surgical castration in animals is often called neutering. #Other animals, Castration of animals is intended to favor a desired development of the animal or of its habits, as an anaphrodisiac or to prevent overpopulation. The parallel of castration for female animals is spaying. Castration may also refer medically to oophorectomy in female humans and animals. The term ''castration'' may also be sometimes used to refer to emasculation where ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
CSIRO Publishing
CSIRO Publishing is an Australian-based science and technology publisher. It publishes books, journals and magazines across a range of scientific disciplines, including agriculture, chemistry, plant and animal sciences, natural history and environmental management. It also produces interactive learning modules for primary school students and provides writing workshops for researchers. CSIRO Publishing operates within the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). It was established as a stand-alone business unit in 1995. Books CSIRO Publishing publishes books in a number of categories, including: * Animals: behaviour; birds; domesticated; ecology and management; field guides; fish; genetics and evolution; health and welfare; invasive; invertebrates; mammals and marsupials; reproduction and physiology; reptiles and amphibians; and wildlife. * Built Environment: architecture; building; codes and standards; engineering; landscape architecture; and plan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
