Dimitri De Meyer
Research Subjects
Dimitri De Meyer has a total of 7 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Arthi Amalraj
Veterinary Epidemiology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
2 shared publications - Dominiek Maes
Unit of Porcine Health Management, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
2 shared publications - Ilias Chantziaras
Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium
2 shared publications M. Fockedey
Vedanko BVBA, Keukelstraat 66a, 8750Wingene, Belgium
1 shared publication- Sandra A. Edwards
School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
1 shared publication - Tommy Van Limbergen
Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
1 shared publication
Latest Publications
- Open Access
- 3 January 2024
- Published by MDPI AG in Veterinary Sciences
- Vol. 11 (1) , 20
Effect of Pig Synthetic Pheromones and Positive Handling of Pregnant Sows on the Productivity of Nursery Pigs
Weaning is one of the most important stress events in the life of pigs, increasing the risk for health problems and reduced performance. The release of pheromones in pig stables can be considered an environmental enrichment and alleviate the negative effects of weaning stress in nursery pigs. The present study investigated the effect of synthetic pheromones on the performance of nursery pigs. The effect of positive handling of sows in the farrowing house on the performance of the offspring in the nursery was also investigated. The study was performed in a commercial pig farm and included 24 batches of weaned piglets (216 piglets per batch). Half of the batches originated from sows exposed to positive handling. This implied that music was played from 6.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. from the moment the sows entered the farrowing house until weaning and that they were subjected to backscratching from the day they entered the farrowing unit the day of farrowing. During the nursery period, half of the batches were treated, and half served as controls. Piglets of treated groups were exposed to a synthetic analog of the maternal pig appeasing pheromone (PAP) (SecurePig®, Signs, Avignon, France). The product consisted of a gel block from which the pheromones were slowly released into the room. Different performance parameters were measured during the nursery period. Neither the sow treatment nor the treatment with pheromones significantly influenced the performance of the piglets during the nursery period (p > 0.05). The median values (95% confidence interval) of average daily gain, namely 318 (282–338) vs. 305 (272–322) g/day, feed conversion ratio, namely 1.64 (1.51–1.71) vs. 1.70 (1.57–1.75), and number of antimicrobial treatment days, namely 16.9 (9.6–25.0) vs. 17.3 (9.5–25.0) days, were numerically better in the nursery pigs exposed to the pheromones compared to the control groups. Mortality however was numerically higher in the treated groups, namely 4.4 (2.8–6.8) vs. 3.2 (0.9–4.2)%. Under the conditions of the present production system, pigs exposed to the pheromone treatment during the nursery did not show a significant performance increase.
- 3 January 2024
- Published by MDPI AG in Veterinary Sciences
- Vol. 11 (1) , 20
Open AccessEffect of Pig Synthetic Pheromones and Positive Handling of Pregnant Sows on the Productivity of Nursery Pigs
Weaning is one of the most important stress events in the life of pigs, increasing the risk for health problems and reduced performance. The release of pheromones in pig stables can be considered an environmental enrichment and alleviate the negative effects of weaning stress in nursery pigs. The present study investigated the effect of synthetic pheromones on the performance of nursery pigs. The effect of positive handling of sows in the farrowing house on the performance of the offspring in the nursery was also investigated. The study was performed in a commercial pig farm and included 24 batches of weaned piglets (216 piglets per batch). Half of the batches originated from sows exposed to positive handling. This implied that music was played from 6.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. from the moment the sows entered the farrowing house until weaning and that they were subjected to backscratching from the day they entered the farrowing unit the day of farrowing. During the nursery period, half of the batches were treated, and half served as controls. Piglets of treated groups were exposed to a synthetic analog of the maternal pig appeasing pheromone (PAP) (SecurePig®, Signs, Avignon, France). The product consisted of a gel block from which the pheromones were slowly released into the room. Different performance parameters were measured during the nursery period. Neither the sow treatment nor the treatment with pheromones significantly influenced the performance of the piglets during the nursery period (p > 0.05). The median values (95% confidence interval) of average daily gain, namely 318 (282–338) vs. 305 (272–322) g/day, feed conversion ratio, namely 1.64 (1.51–1.71) vs. 1.70 (1.57–1.75), and number of antimicrobial treatment days, namely 16.9 (9.6–25.0) vs. 17.3 (9.5–25.0) days, were numerically better in the nursery pigs exposed to the pheromones compared to the control groups. Mortality however was numerically higher in the treated groups, namely 4.4 (2.8–6.8) vs. 3.2 (0.9–4.2)%. Under the conditions of the present production system, pigs exposed to the pheromone treatment during the nursery did not show a significant performance increase.