Welfare and housing Flashcards
Welfare issues in current pig production systems
Space restriction
Restriction of behaviours
Mutilations
Weaning age and method
Mixing unacquainted pigs
Abnormal behaviours
Welfare legislation: housing of breeding pigs
Gestation stall banned in UK (jan 1999)
Partial EU-wide ban on sow stalls (jan 2013)
Partial ban in Australia 2017
Issues with group housing of sows
Agression
Care of individual sow
Especially at feeding
Functions of farrowing crates
Protect piglets from crushing
Allow easier management of sow and litter
Problems of farrowing crates
Severe restriction of normal behaviour
Severe restriction of movement
Low level of physical comfort
Alternatives to farrowing crates
Farrowing pens - productivity can be as good but repeatability of results is difficult
Good alternatives require more room so more expensive
Outdoor arc - not so good for extreme weather
Why do growing pigs need enough space to lie down?
Ability to thermoregulate efficiently
Ability to perform normal behaviours
Ability to avoid physical discomfort/injury
Sufficient cleanliness to minimise disease risk
What type of space is required for growing pigs?
Welfare of farmed animals regulations 2003 requires pigs to have access to manipulatable material
Role of disease and sickness in tail biting
Respiratory disease leads to more ear and tail biting
Serum levels of cytokines IL-1 and IL-12 correlated with behaviours associated with current or future tail biting
Pigs injected with LPS performed more tail and ear directed behaviour
What can reduce the incidence of gastric ulcers in growing pigs
Access to straw bedding
Castration of growing pigs
Castration to stop boar taint of carcases - not widely practiced in UK as slaughter before puberty
Immuno-castration (Improvac) reduces boar taint and improves welfare
Teeth clipping of growing pigs
Carried out to prevent damage to other piglets and sows udder
Should not be carried out routinely - only after injuries have occured
Tail docking in growing pigs
Attempts to stop tail biting, can reduce scale but doesnt prevent it
Should not be carried out routinely - only after injuries have occured but still routinely carried out in UK
