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Pork Strategic Farm - Tackling tails
Name:
Ben Williams
Farm sectors:
Pork
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About Pork Strategic Farm - Tackling tails
- Welfare codes direct producers to follow a process in relation to the management of tails
- The WebHAT was designed to guide producers in one possible method to meet compliance
- Various resources which compliment the WebHAT are available to support the high welfare in the pig industry
Pigs are naturally curious and social animals. That being so, we are aware that tail biting, biting and aggression is a serious health and welfare concern for the pigs, business and wider industry.
Our Pork Strategic Farms have been working on methods to identify a protocol that will allow producers to meet the legislation and guidance set out in the welfare codes. Specifically concerning tail docking, the codes state:
"Routine tail docking is not permitted. Tail docking should only be used as a last resort, after improvements to the pigs’ environment and management have proved ineffectual in preventing tail biting.
Owners/keepers should document evidence of tail biting and keep records of the measures instigated and their effectiveness on improving the pigs’ welfare.
Where records are not available and pigs are found to be tail docked, this may be considered in any decisions regarding the legality of the tail docking procedure being carried out by owners/keepers."
To support producers, our web-based Husbandry Advisory Tool (WebHAT) provides materials and guidance to meet the requirements detailed in the welfare codes and should always be reviewed in conjunction with the farm’s vet.
The WebHAT is not the only method that can be used to meet the above requirements in regards to welfare. However, it has been reviewed in conjunction with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
Our pork strategic farms are kept anonymous due to the range of activities that occur on-farm and all the information related to their farm is considered confident and extremely sensitive.
Our research is focused on four key stages to help you tackle tails on farm, in your business, read on to view the process and materials available through WebHAT
Record
The recording should be suitably detailed but quick to complete so as not to impact on routine tasks. We’ve produced some recording sheet templates, available to download.
These sheets allow quick recording of the signs of tail biting, as well as specific cases. Record sheets can be tables, as seen in the diagram, or, as on some of our Strategic Farms, can be a simple diagram showing the pen layout in the building, with observations recorded per pen.
Analyse
The WebHAT is based on extensive research into the factors that lead to tail biting. While these have been ranked by likelihood to contribute, it does not mean that they have to be tackled in order of risk. This is because tail biting in pigs is complex. Each pig can be thought of a bit like a bucket – as each factor fills their bucket, it’s only when the bucket overflows that biting occurs. This means that it may be a very small factor that caused the biting outbreak. If this small factor can be tackled quickly and easily, it should be, before major structural and management changes are made to the production system, as big changes are often more costly/take longer to enact.
The WebHAT starts with the early warning signs of tail biting. This shows the underlying signs, as well as incidents of tail biting, to ensure thorough identification of the need for specific management practices on the farm. The WebHAT will list the likely factors that could lead to outbreaks of tail biting, as well as potential solutions that would allow producers to tackle tail biting.
The first output of the WebHAT is a risk report that can be used to draw up an action plan in conjunction with the vet.
Action
The welfare codes require that tail docking only be undertaken ‘after improvements to the pigs’ environment and management have proved ineffectual in preventing tail biting’. This means that there should be evidence of actions taken to improve either the environment or management. This can be recorded as a series of actions within the reports generated by the vet’s quarterly visit or on the action plan that is generated by the WebHAT. The WebHAT document tasks the producer and the vet to discuss why certain actions would be taken rather than simply the one with the highest risk factor. This allows the producer to justify why a small change in environment or management may reduce the likelihood of tail biting going forward.
Review
The industry is aware that tail biting is a complex issue and so there is a need to review the results of the actions with continuous recording.
- Has the action had an impact? If so, there should be further conversations with the farm vet
- If the action has no impact, what further actions could be attempted?
The continuation of this cycle supports the guidance made under the welfare codes.
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