critical pigs welfare issues - european commission · critical pigs welfare issues dr. med. vet....

Critical Pigs Welfare Issues Dr. med. vet. Christine Leeb CertWEL

University of Natural Ressources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria

“Improving animal welfare- a practical approach” Budapest 26.-27.9.2011

Introduc)onDr.Chris)neLeebCertWEL

– Univ.ofVeterinaryMedicineVienna

– Ma=hewEytonResidencyforFarmAnimalHealthandWelfare,Univ.Bristol,UK

– TeachingandResearchFarm,Univ.ofVeterinaryMedicineVienna

– BOKU•  „BEPBioschwein“

2C. Leeb “Improving animal welfare- a practical approach” Budapest 26.-27.9.2011

OverviewWhatispigwelfareandhowtomeasureit?

Normalpigbehaviour–welfareindicatorsCri)calissues&solu)ons

•  Socialbehaviour•  Feedingbehaviour•  ´Thermoregula)on

•  Locomotorybehaviour

Housingandmanagement•  Pregantandlacta)ngsows• Weaners/growers

•  Finishers3C. Leeb “Improving animal welfare- a practical approach” Budapest 26.-27.9.2011

Howisherwelfare?


2concepts


3concepts


Exampleofissuesaffec)ngphysical/mentalwelfareandnaturalness

•  Physical– Developmentofshouldersores– Urinarytractinfec)ons– Mas))s

•  Mental– Painfromshouldersores– Lackofcoping?

•  Naturalness‐Restric)onof– Nestbuildingbehaviour– Mother‐childbehaviour– Defeca)on– Lyingbehaviour


Howtomeasureanimalwelfare?


HEALTH & WELFARE?

INPUTS

OUTPUT

Stockman

e.g. knowledge, skills

Environment

e.g. housing, feeding

Animal

e.g. breed, breeding

Physilog./pathol.

e.g. lesions

Behavior

interactions e.g. mortality

Records

Pigsaresocialanimals•  BothWildBoarsandferalpigsaresocialanimals•  herdsformedbylong‐)meassocia)onsbetweenmothersandtheirfemaleoffspring

•  mostcommongroupsizes2‐6individuals

Stolba (1984) and Stolba and Wood-Gush (1984, 1989) 10

Socialstructure•  Normallystablesocialgroups•  Newanimalintroducedintogroup

Fighting: head to head 1C. Leeb “Improving animal welfare- a practical approach” Budapest 26.-27.9.2011

LesionsfromFigh)ngSign. Correlation between fighting observed and

lesions (Barnett et al., 1996) –  Two parallel scratches –  Head, neck, shoulder –  Healing quickly

12

Fightlesionsandmanagementofgroups

**

Stable group Dynamic group

Med

ian

num

ber o

f inj

urie

s/so

w o

f her

d

Leeb et al, 2001 13

C. Leeb “Improving animal welfare- a practical approach” Budapest 26.-27.9.2011 14

Dynamicgroups

Pregnant sows

Farrowing house 1

Service Area

Farrowing group 2

C. Leeb “Improving animal welfare- a practical approach” Budapest 26.-27.9.2011 15

Stablegroups

Pregnant sows

Farrowing group 1 Service area

Farrowing group2

FeedingBehaviour

•  Allpigseatatthesame)me•  Exploratory/foragingbehaviourupto75%ofdailyac)vity

•  Roo)ng,grazing,browsing(StolbaandWood‐Gush,1989).


Feedingbehaviour–implica)onsforsows

Differentstagesofpregnancy–differentneeds

Restrictedfoodforpregnantsows

Ea)ngsimultaneously Protectthesowduringea)ng!! Provideenoughfeedingplaces Feedindividually/groupwiseaccordingtocondi)on

Long)mespentea)ng feedingtwicedailyand bulky/highfibrefood


Legisla)on

•  4.(6)Sowsandgiltskeptingroupsmustbefedusingasystemwhichensuresthateachindividualcanobtainsufficientfoodevenwhencompe)torsforthefoodarepresent;

•  (7)Tosa)sfytheirhungerandgiventheneedtochew,alldrypregnantsowsandgiltsmustbegivenasufficientquan)tyofbulkyorhigh‐fibrefoodaswellashigh‐energyfood;


Roughageforsows

19

Constant hunger in sows Stereotypies

C. Leeb “Improving animal welfare- a practical approach” Budapest 26.-27.9.2011

ProblemsrelatedtofeedingInadequatefeedingdesign

–  Nofeedingofindividualspossible–toothin/fat–  Vulvabi)ng


Vulvalesionsinrela)ontodesignoffeedingarea

Lockable Feeding Stalls Non lockable feeding stalls Electr. Sow Feeders

Vulv

a Le

sion

s (M

edia

n of

her

ds)

Leeb et al, 2001 21


Sows:

Tethering banned from January 1st, 2006 on

Individual stalls will be prohibited from 4 weeks after parturition and 7 days before the following parturition

o  Ban for all new buildings from January 1st, 2003 on o  for all buildings from January 1st, 2013 on

Housing


GroupHousingforsows  (4)(a)…ingroupsduringaperiodstar)ng

from4weeksaoertheserviceto1weekbeforetheexpected)meoffarrowing.

  Thepenwherethegroupiskeptmusthavesides>2,8minlength.

  <6individualsarekeptinagroupthepenwherethegroupiskeptmusthavesidesgreaterthan2,4minlength;

  (b)thetotalareaatleast2,25m²respec)vely.

  <6individualsincreasedby10%.  >40individualsthedecreasedby10%;

2,4m/2,8m

1


Happy healthy animals are profitable animals” Budapest 26.-27.9.2011

ThreeAreaPENLying/Resting Area (1m²/sow)

Individual feeder (1m²/sow)

Dunging/Activity (1m²/sow)

24

Happy healthy animals are profitable animals” Budapest 26.-27.9.2011

Lying Area (1m²/sow)

Dunging/Activity (1m²/sow)

Individual feeder (1m²/sow)


2Area–combinedlying/dunging

Individual feeder (55cm wide)

Lying/Dunging


27

2Area–combinedlying/dunging


Electronicsowfeeding(ESF)Feeding station

Lying Area (1m²/sow)

Dunging/Activity (1-2 m²/sow)


Howtoadapttogrouphousing?

31

Farrowingsows‐Legisla)on

3. In the week before the expected farrowing time sows and gilts must be given suitable nesting material in sufficient quantity …

4. An unobstructed area behind the sow or gilt must be available for the ease of natural or assisted farrowing.


FreeFarrowing


Discussiononparametersforsows

•  Whichparametersdoyouusealready?•  Whichparameterswouldyouliketouse?

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