AN ALTERNATIVE HOUSING SYSTEM FOR SOWS

A group housing system for sows, the Hurnik-Morris (H-M) System, is described which addresses several of the serious animal welfare limitations of existing housing methods. The H-M System permits socially coordinated eating and resting, controlled and socially undisturbed feed consumption, physical exercise and regular exposure to boars. Sows adjusted relatively rapidly to the H-M System, indicating that its design concurs with their perceptual and learning capabilities. Key words: Swine, housing, behavior, welfare