Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on October 29, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

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This thesis compares growth and behaviour of domestic sows and piglets in confined pens versus get-away pens (where sows could leave their fitters at will), to ask whether parent-offspring conflict occurs, whether it increases with offspring age, whether it involves offspring access to the udder, and whether it affects animal production or welfare. Parent-offspring conflict occurs in domestic pigs: piglets of Confined sows suckled more and ate less solid food but grew at the same rate as piglets from Get-away sows, indicating they obtained more milk. Confined sows lost more weight than Get-away sows and returned to oestrus later, indicating a fitness cost of providing the additional milk. Parent-offspring conflict increased with piglet age: as the fitter aged, Get-away sows spent more time away from their young and the differences between Get-away sows and Confined sows in weight loss and nursing frequency increased. In Get-away sows, the reduction in contact with their young occurred rapidly, but its timing varied greatly among individual sows. Behavioural conflict over access to the udder is a plausible mechanism by which conflict is expressed in swine: piglets from Confined pens spent more time nuzzling the udder than piglets of Get-away sows. Piglets from Get-away sows nuzzled the udder a higher proportion of the time when the sow was present than piglets from Confined sows. Get-away sows terminated more nursings than Confined sows thus limiting the amount of contact piglets had with the udder after nursing. Mowing sows to control maternal provisioning improved productivity: there was a slight benefit of reduced time to the next oestrus for Get-away sows. Piglets from Get-away sows gained more weight and consumed more food after weaning than piglets from Confined sows. There was only slight evidence that get-away pens reduced behavioural indicators of post-weaning stress (e.g., movements, vocalizations, response to playback of vocalizations) for either the pi

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Melbourne, School of Veterinary Science, 2006. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 181-202).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-101). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2008. / Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 190-207)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-128). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-101). Also available on the Internet.