EU PiG – Animal welfare

The increase in pigs born per sow (hyperprolific sows) has caused various production issues relating to ensuring that the piglets have the best chance of survival and, in turn, being profitable animals.

Pigs have an optimum temperature at which they thrive. Temperatures across Europe in the summer (even Ireland and the UK) can exceed that level, causing stress on pigs and lowering productivity.

When piglets are mixed with other litters during lactation, it facilitates adaptation at weaning, reduces scratches and improves growth rates in the nursery accommodation, this French producer has found.

Piglet losses during lactation have been reduced from 25% to 15% on this breeding unit, equipped with a Pro Dromi loose farrowing system.

Feed conversion ratio has improved, and pigs have become easier to handle since this finisher unit owner began changing the type of environmental enrichment in each pen every day to promote a sense of novelty for the pigs.

Spanish farmer Ramon Armengol has a 720-sow, farrow-to-finish ‘closed unit’ producing entire males. Aware of the risks of boar taint and possible welfare issues associated with this, he has introduced several different systems to address them – the results including lower production costs per kilo.

Tail docking has been banned in Finland since 2003, so the Sikana Oy farm rears its 2,980 finisher pigs with intact tails and uses a number of practical measures to ensure they comply with legislation and maintain both welfare and productivity.