Key welfare issues

Growing / finishing pigs

Tail docking
Tail docking is carried out on approximately 80 per cent of piglets in the UK to try to reduce the risk of tail biting when they are older. Tail biting, which may be a symptom of physical or mental stress, is painful and can lead to serious injury. The law prohibits the routine docking of piglets’ tails, but it can be carried out provided other measures have been taken first to try to reduce tail biting. These include providing environmental enrichment material (e.g. straw), providing more space per pig, and increasing the amount of feeding space available.

Teeth clipping / grinding
These procedures are carried out on some piglets to remove the sharp ends of their needle teeth that can cause damage to the sows’ teats during suckling and to other piglets.

Castration of male piglets without anaesthetic
This is legal in the EU, provided it is done before seven days of age. It is no longer common in the UK, although around 80 per cent of male piglets (approximately 100 million) in the EU are castrated each year, many without anaesthetic/analgesia. Castration is carried out mainly to reduce the risk of ‘boar taint’ in the meat.

All of the above practices cause pain and stress.

Lack of opportunity to express key natural behaviours
Pigs have a strong desire to root around in the ground, foraging for food. However they are often housed on barren concrete or wooden slatted floors with little to keep them occupied, leading to frustration, boredom and behavioural problems such as tail biting.

Sows

Sow stalls 
From January 2013 sow stalls were banned in the EU, although their use continues to be allowed for up to four weeks post-mating. Their use has been completely prohibited in the UK since 1999. These cause severe welfare problems as the sow is unable to turn around, take more than one or two steps forward or backward, and most have no access to bedding throughout the majority of their four-month pregnancy.
 

Farrowing crates
Although these offer piglets some protection from crushing for the first few days after farrowing, they cause a large amount of stress to the sow, as a result of confinement. The fact that the sow can't build a nest, due to confinement and a lack of bedding materials, further frustrates her.

Nose ringing
Outdoor sows and boars are often nose ringed to try to reduce their rooting of the ground. Excessive rooting can lead to an increase in the death rates of piglets, as draughts in their arcs can appear, causing chilling of the piglets. As well as pain when the ring is inserted and the stress of handling, nose rings work by causing discomfort and pain as the sow goes to root with her snout, causing her to stop. Evidence has shown that feeding pigs bulky feeds can help to reduce rooting, whilst the use of a ‘sacrificial’ area of the paddock with root crops added can direct sows’ rooting to that particular area, reducing rooting within the farrowing area.

General issues

Lameness
This can be a big problem, caused by joint disorders, infection, or foot injuries.

Management and stock-keeper skill
Outdoor units, in particular, require high levels of skill to ensure good animal welfare. Problems can occur as a result of inappropriate site suitability (soil type, weather conditions), inadequate shade/shelter provision, restricted access to food and water (particularly in winter), accidents to/predation of piglets, and potentially higher levels of some diseases (though others are less common than on indoor units).

Transport
Pigs are poor travellers, as they have problems regulating their body temperature and can suffer from travel sickness.