Can environmental nebulization of lavender essential oil (L. angustifolia) improve welfare and modulate nasal microbiota of growing pigs?

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of daily inhalation of vaporized LaEO on pigs welfare and health indicators, including growth parameters, skin and tail lesions, overall behaviour and hair cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone, and also on nasal microbiota, trying to understand whether this phytoextract represents a feasible tool to improve animal welfare under intensive farming conditions.