Reproduction performances and conditions of group-housed non ...

PREFACE AND AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The present thesis intends to meet the requirements for obtaining the Ph.D. degree from the
Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen (RVAU). Throughout the
Ph.D. study, the undersigned has been attached to the research group Farming Systems,
Dept. of Agroecology, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences (DIAS), Research Centre
Foulum. The study has been financially supported by the Danish Research Agency.
I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisors, senior scientist Troels Kristensen,
Dept. of Agroecology (DIAS) and Associate Professor Sven Bresson, Dept. of Large Animal
Sciences (RVAU) for their guidance and advice much appreciated. Very special
thanks for co-supervision go to the head of the Farming System Group, John E. Hermansen,
whose always constructive criticism and unfailing high spirits have been very valuable,
especially during the last couple of months. I also wish to thank the rest of the Farming
System Group for providing a good collegiate environment. Special thanks to Jytte
Christensen for her excellent assistance with data processing and to Lene Kirkegaard for
her help with Reference Manager.
The Ph.D. study included a farm study involving 14 sow herds. I wish to thank the 14
farmers and their co-workers for their cooperativeness, kindness and great inspiration. I
would also like to express my gratitude to the Research Technicians Henrik K. Andersen,
Kristine R. Hansen, Michael Hansen, Orla Nielsen, Niels H. Thomsen and Helge Yde for
their much appreciated assistance in carrying out the data collection.
For discussions of statistical analyses, I am very grateful to Senior Scientist Jens Henrik
Badsberg and especially to Senior Scientist Erik Jørgensen for his great contributions to
the statistical analyses and well-timed ‘pep-talks’. I am also grateful to Dr. Nicoline Soede
and Dr. Wouter Hazeleger, Dept. of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, for allowing
me to stay in their group for two months and for sharing some of their knowledge of
reproduction physiology with me.
I would also like to thank the following people for valuable discussions/assistance: Ph.D.
Marianne Bonde, Ph.D. Tine Rousing, Senior Scientist Lene J. Pedersen, Senior Scientist
Viggo Dannielsen (all from DIAS), Lisbeth U. Hansen, Lisbeth B. Petersen, Flemming
Thorup and Brian Fisker (all from The National Committee for Pig Production).
Finally, a very grateful thought to all the two- and four-legged creatures at ‘Skovbakken’
whose calm attitudes have been an essential fountain of relaxation throughout the study,
and especially THANK YOU, Jens, for always being there 110% - also on rainy days.
Foulum, September 2004 , Anne Grete Kongsted