Pig Code update: priority welfare issues for the Scientific Committee report

The Code Committee and Scientific Committee collectively identified the following list of priority welfare issues. The Scientific Committee is developing a synthesis of research on these topics, and their report will provide valuable information to the Code Committee as they update the Code of Practice.   

Enrichment

• Review of enrichment strategies, with focus on practical applications to promote the welfare of pigs at all stages of commercial production, including a discussion of cost benefit analyses where these exist

Housing: Space quantity and quality (functionality)

• Review of space allowance and functionality across all pig production stages (includes crate and loose lactation farrowing systems)
• Review of the duration of time spent in confinement during breeding (timing of mixing into group gestation) and farrowing/lactation (timing of crate opening, with focus on the sow and piglets)

Pain control

• Review of practical and effective applications of pain control for routine painful procedures (tail docking, teeth clipping, castration, ear notching) lameness, and farrowing
• Review of refinement and reduction of painful procedures during piglet processing, with consideration given to the effect of handling events on piglets
• Review of the effects of early-life painful procedures on growth and performance during the grow-finish phase

Lameness

• Review of strategies to address and minimize lameness (breeding animals and finishers)
• Review of the effects of group housing on lameness in sows
• Review of methods to minimize stress during mixing of gilts and gestating females into groups

Euthanasia

• • Review of euthanasia methods with focus on efficacy, practical applications (technical requirements), animal welfare outcomes, and the psychological impact on staff
• Requested that blunt force trauma is reviewed (impact and alternatives

Priority welfare issues are those that are particularly important for the welfare of the animals and that will particularly benefit from a review of the available research. Some animal welfare topics may not be selected for scientific review for any number of reasons (e.g., insufficient research). Welfare issues that are not selected for scientific review—yet fall within the scope of the Code—will still be addressed in the Code of Practice.