Table 1 Variables and variable categories used in the construction of the final multiple correspondence analysis (MCA)

Type

Type of production including the breeding and farrowing of sows and thereafter either selling the pigs as feeders or raising pigs to their slaughter weight (“far-feed” = farrow-to-feeder, “far-fin” = farrow-to-finish)

Herdsize

Number of sows based on the 25th and 75th sample percentiles (“Herd<103”, “Herd103–635”, “Herd >635”)

Sows/caretaker

Sows per caretaker-ratio as the number of sows divided by the number of caretakers based on the 25th and 75th sample percentiles (“Sows/caretaker <58”, “Sows/caretaker =58–147”, “Sows/caretaker>147”)

BR_size

Number of sows in the same room in the breeding unit (“BR_size<20”, “BR_size20–50”, “BR_size >50”, “BR_sizeall” = all sows in the same room)

GE_size

Number of sows in the same room in the gestation unit based on the 25th and 75th sample percentiles (“GE_size<50”, “GE_size50–151”, “GE_size>151”)

GE_group

Number of sows in the same group in the gestation unit based on the 50th sample percentile (“GE_group<11”, “GE_group>10”)

GE_area

Measured area (m²) divided by the number of sows in the gestation unit based on the 50th and 75th sample percentiles (“GE_area < 3”, “GE_area3–3.7”, “GE_area > 3.7”)

FAR_pen

Measured farrowing pen size (m²) categorized based on the 75th sample percentiles (“FAR< 5.26”, “FAR> 5.26”)

BR_GE_comb

Housing of the weaned and gestating sows in the same room (“no”, “yes”)

BR_type

Type of the feeding system in the breeding unit (“stall_L” = locked stalls,“trough” = pen with trough feeding)

GE_type

Housing in the gestation unit (“loose” = group housing with electronic transponders, “pen” = pen with trough feeding, “pen_stall” = pen with feeding stalls, “pen_stallL” = pen with lockable feeding stalls)

FAR_ind

Frequency of farrowing induction according to the farmer (“IND_never”, “IND_sometimes”, “IND_always”)

FAR_OX

Frequency of farrowings where oxytocin is used after the onset of parturition out of 10 farrowings according to the farmer (“OX_0–3/10”, “OX_4–7/10”, “OX_ > 7/10”)

FAR_AIAO

All in all out practice in the farrowing unit (“no”, “yes”)

BR_floor

Flooring in the breeding unit (“all solid”, “partly_slatted”)

GE_floor

Flooring in the gestation unit (“ > 20% slatted”, “< 20% slatted”)

FAR_floor

Flooring in the farrowing pen for the sow (“solid”, “partly slatted”, “all slatted”)

BR_m

GE_m

BR_bed

GE_bed

FAR_bed

Material added to the pens to absorb liquids and scored according to (1) the amount and (2) the dryness of the material (“inadqt” = inadequate, i.e. the bedding material, if at all present, is wet, “some” = mostly dry or almost dry and there is enough to form small piles, “a lot” = mostly dry and there is enough to form large piles)

Enrichment material given to the sows to facilitate manipulative beviour including both bedding-type materials such as straw, hay, peat or newspaper and/or solid objects, such as chains or rope. (“inadqt” = inadequate, i.e. not enough bedding-type material to form small piles, “some” = not enough bedding-type material or solid objects for all sows to manipulate at the same time, “a lot” = enough bedding-type material to allow all sows the possibility to manipulate the material or the objects simultaneously or bedding material scored as “a lot” and considered suitable also for manipulative behaviour (including materials such as peat, straw or sawdust))

FAR_nest

Frequency and amount of nesting material use in the farrowing pen according to the farmer (“inadqt” = inadequate, “some”, “a lot”)

BR_

GE_

FAR_