Early detection and appropriate treatment of sick and injured sows aids in managing health and welfare and minimizes productivity losses from uncorrected problems. Although there is a voluntary phase-out of sow stalls by 2017, a survey conducted in 2004 found that approximately 64% of pig producers in Australia housed pregnant sows individually in stalls for at least part of their gestation (Pearson, 2004). Stalls may be used to house individual sows that need special attention to restore their health or body condition, particularly group-housed sows that may have been subjected to persistent bullying.The aim of this experiment was to develop a method for detecting sick or injured sows housed in stalls. The null hypothesis was that inspection method had no effect on the proportion of physical abnormalities detected in sows housed in stalls on a commercial farm.
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