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Nest-building research

One of the most critical welfare issues for the farrowing sow confined in a conventional farrowing crate is her inability to perform satisfactory nest-building behaviours. Regardless of her farrowing environment the sow will attempt to perform nest-building behaviours approximately 16-24h before she is due to give birth.

To see an illustrative video of these behaviours being performed in different farrowing environments please visit Why is Nest-Building Behaviour So Important?.

There has been a great deal of research dedicated to nest-building behaviour and how it affects maternal hormones and maternal behaviour and what materials satisfy this highly motivated and genetically programmed behaviour.

Research questions

Typical research questions that have been investigated are:

  • What is nest-building behaviour?
  • How does it influence maternal behaviour?
  • What substrates can satisfy nest-building behaviour?

Research answers

These references are relevant for nest-building research and are arranged in descending date order .

  • Rosvold, E.M. and Andersen, I.L., 2019. Straw vs. peat as nest-building material–The impact on farrowing duration and piglet mortality in loose-housed sows. Livestock Science, 229: Pages 203-209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2019.05.014
  • Rosvold, E.M., Newberry, R.C. and Andersen, I.L., 2019. Early mother-young interactions in domestic sows – Nest-building material increases maternal investment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 219: 104837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2019.104837
  • Bolhuis, J.E., Raats-van den Boogaard, A.M.E., Hoofs, A.I.J. and Soede, N.M., 2018. Effects of loose housing and the provision of alternative nesting material on peri-partum sow behaviour and piglet survival. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 202: 28-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2018.01.004
  • Rosvold, E.M., Newberry, R.C., Framstad, T. and Andersen, I.L., 2018. Nest-building behaviour and activity budgets of sows provided with different materials. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 200: 36-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2017.12.003
  • Swan, K.M., Peltoniemi, O.A.T., Munsterhjelm, C. and Valros, A., 2018. Comparison of nest-building materials in farrowing crates. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 203: 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2018.02.008
  • Hansen, C.F., Hales, J., Weber, P.M., Edwards, S.A. and Moustsen, V.A., 2017. Confinement of sows 24 h before expected farrowing affects the performance of nest building behaviours but not progress of parturition. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 188: 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2017.01.003
  • Yun, J. and Valros, A., 2015. Benefits of prepartum nest-building behaviour on parturition and lactation in sows—a review. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences, 28:1519. https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.15.0174
  • Yun, J., Swan, K.M., Oliviero, C., Peltoniemi, O. and Valros, A., 2015. Effects of pre-partum housing environment on abnormal behaviour, the farrowing process, and interactions with circulating oxytocin in sows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 162: 20-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2014.11.006
  • Yun, J., Swan, K.M., Farmer, C., Oliviero, C., Peltoniemi, O. and Valros, A., 2014. Prepartum nest-building has an impact on post-partum nursing performance and maternal behaviour in early lactating sows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 160: 31-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2014.08.011
  • Yun, J., Swan, K.M., Vienola, K., Kim, Y.Y., Oliviero, C., Peltoniemi, O.A.T. and Valros, A., 2014. Farrowing environment has an impact on sow metabolic status and piglet colostrum intake in early lactation. Livestock Science, 163:120-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2014.02.014
  • Wischner, D., Kemper, N. and Krieter, J., 2009. Nest-building behaviour in sows and consequences for pig husbandry. Livestock Science, 124: 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2009.01.015
  • Algers, B. and Uvnäs-Moberg, K., 2007. Maternal behavior in pigs. Hormones and Behavior, 52: 78-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.03.022
  • Damm, B.I., Vestergaard, K.S., Schroder-Petersen, D.L., Ladewig, J., 2000. The effect of branches on prepartum nest building in gilts with access to straw.  Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 69: 113-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(00)00122-2
  • Thodberg, K., Jensen, K.H., Herskin, M.S., Jorgensen, E., 1999. Influence of environmental stimuli on nest building and farrowing behaviour in domestic sows.  Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 63: 131-144. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(99)00002-7
  • Cronin, G.M., Smith, J.A., Hodge, F.M., Hemsworth, P.H., 1994. The behaviour of primiparous sows around farrowing in response to restraint and straw bedding.  Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 39: 269-280. https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1591(94)90162-7
  • Jensen, P., 1993. Nest building in domestic sows: the role of external stimuli. Animal behaviour, 45: 351-358. https://doi.org/10.1006/anbe.1993.1040
  • Zanella, A. J. and Zanella, E. L., 1993. Nesting material used by free-range sows in Brazil. In Proceedings of the 3rd Joint Meeting of the International Congress on Applied Ethology (ed. M Nichelmann, HK Wierenga and S Braun) p. 411.
  • Arey, D.S., 1992. Straw and food as reinforcers for prepartal sows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 33: 217-226. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(05)80009-7
  • Widowski, T.M. and Curtis, S.E., 1990. The influence of straw, cloth tassel, or both on the prepartum behaviour of sows.  Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 27: 53-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1591(90)90007-Z
  • Jensen, P., 1986. Observations on the maternal behaviour of free-ranging domestic pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 16: 131-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1591(86)90105-X