Introduction

This survey looks at producers’ experiences regarding social behaviour in pigs, including observations of both positive (e.g. sharing space or food, protective behaviours, accessing resources) and negative behaviours (fighting). Information from the survey will help in developing research on social interactions and strategies used by pigs to improve understanding and management of group-housed sows.

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* 1. What type of operation do you work in?

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* 2. If you have a farrowing barn, how many sows?

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* 3. If you do not have a farrowing barn, how many weaner or finishing pigs?

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* 4. Number of years you have worked at pig operation?

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* 5. What is your role at the pig operation?

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* 6. Do you use ESF or other automation to manage pigs (eg autosorters)?

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* 7. Provide a description of instances in which you have observed cooperation between two or more pigs. Please describe the interaction. (Cooperation is defined as two or more pigs working together to the same end)

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* 8. What are some funny or odd behaviours you have observed in how group housed pigs (any age) interact with one another

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* 9. What are some funny or odd behaviours you have observed in how group housed pigs (any age) interact with automation (eg. auto-sorters, ESF)

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* 10. What does ‘good citizenship’ look like in group housed pigs?

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* 11. If you are a producer with sows - Have you identified individual sows in your herd that are persistently aggressive? (persistently is defined as continuously)

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* 12. If a dominant sow is persistently aggressive – is she aggressive throughout gestation or throughout her life? Can you provide some examples?

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* 13. If a dominant sow’s aggression changes depending on the context, in which contexts are dominant sows less aggressive?

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