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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 November 2017
The psychological disturbance caused to pigs at loading is thought to be responsible for increased difficulty in handling and impaired well-being through associated rough handling and injury (Geverink et al., 1998). Environmental enrichment (toys and driving) has been shown to reduce the force required and the excitability of pigs driven through a chute (Grandin et al., 1986). The objective of the current study was to investigate whether it is possible to reduce the psychological stress of slaughter-weight pigs at loading by reducing the novelty of the loading process.