Researchers Examine Role of Play in Social Development and Productivity

Researchers with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine are looking at the role of play in the development and productivity of the pig. Researchers with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine are examining the potential of using play to enhance pig welfare and promote beneficial production characteristics.

 

Dr. Giuliana Miguel Pacheco, a Post Doctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, says research shows play is perfumed in the absence of fear, pain and illness.

 

 

We know that play has a strong function and role in pig development, preparing the pig for an expected event, influencing social development and learning about environment. It is believed that supporting the expression of play will confirm efficient charteristics in pigs, helping them to cope with challenges that could be stressful.

 

It is also assumed that performing play triggers positive emotions. These two reasons are very important for the Canadian swine industry, particularly in an era where consumers are more concerned about farm animal welfare and antibiotic use. Promoting resilience in pigs could potentially reduce the use of antibiotics through reducing the effects of negative stress on the body.

 

So the main goals of this work are, to identify the most effective and practical methods to trigger play in commercial systems of production, to measure the effect of play promotion on production efficiency and social development. We are reducing social stress so it could help to increase production efficiency. The final goal is to determine whether opportunities to play can induce positive emotions and influence the pig's immune response and ability to respond effectively to stress.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.