WHEN PIGS ARE APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS OF AGE AND READY TO GO TO THE PROCESSING PLANT, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO WALK ONTO A TRUCK TRAILER TO BE TRANSPORTED. THE PROCESS OF WALKING FROM THEIR PENS TO THE TRAILER OFTEN RESULTS IN HEIGHTENED STRESS, A RELUCTANCE TO MOVE AND POTENTIAL INJURY, PARTICULARLY WHEN THEY ARE REQUIRED TO ASCEND AN UNFAMILIAR RAMP TO WALK INTO THE TRAILER. STRESS AND INJURIES RELATED TO LOADING, TRANSPORT, AND UNLOADING REDUCE ANIMAL WELFARE AND RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC LOSSES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO EVALUATE A STRATEGY FOR REDUCING PIG STRESS ASSOCIATED WITH WALKING UP THE RAMP DURING TRAILER LOADING. PIGS WILL BE GIVEN ACCESS TO A SMALL RAMP WITHIN THEIR PENS FROM APPROXIMATELY 3-8 WEEKS OF AGE. DURING THIS TIME, RAMP USAGE AND THE EFFECT OF THE RAMP ON PIG BEHAVIORAL INTERACTION WITHIN THE PEN WILL BE EVALUATED. AT APPROXIMATELY 8 WEEKS OF AGE, THE RAMP WILL BE REMOVED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THEIR GROWING PERIOD (I.E. 4 MONTHS). FOLLOWING THE GROWING PERIOD, PIG BEHAVIOR WILL BE EVALUATED DURING TRAILER LOADING TO SEE IF EARLY-LIFE RAMP EXPOSURE REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF STRESS THEY EXPERIENCE AS THEY ASCEND THE RAMP INTO THE TRAILER. THE STUDY WILL ALSO INVESTIGATE WHETHER EARLY-LIFE RAMP EXPOSURE MAKES IT EASIER FOR THE ANIMAL CARETAKERS TO HANDLE THE PIGS DURING LOADING AND UNLOADING. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT EARLY-LIFE PIG EXPOSURE TO A RAMP WILL RESULT IN REDUCED BEHAVIORAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF STRESS, FEWER INJURIES, FASTER LOADING AND UNLOADING TIMES AND DECREASED REQUIRED EFFORT BY ANIMAL CARETAKERS TO SAFELY MOVE THE PIGS TO AND FROM THE TRAILER. IF SUCCESSFUL, EARLY-LIFE EXPOSURE TO A SMALL RAMP WOULD BE AN EASILY ADOPTABLE STRATEGY, RESULTING IN IMPROVED SWINE WELFARE AT LOADING AND INCREASED ECONOMIC BENEFIT FOR THE PRODUCER.