The effect of salt deficiency on the behaviour of finishing pigs in a tail chew test

Abstract

Tail-biting is an adverse behaviour which can lead to injury in the recipient pig, reducing welfare and causing abscesses in the carcass. A survey in abattoirs in the UK found that 5 percent of pigs at slaughter have their tails bitten (Guise & Penny, 1998). Work by Fraser (1987) suggested that tail-biting is linked to a deficiency in dietary minerals. This study investigated whether finishing pigs were more attracted to salt after being offered a diet deficient in salt for two weeks.