Download - Critical Pigs Welfare Issues - European Commission · Critical Pigs Welfare Issues Dr. med. vet. Christine Leeb CertWEL University of Natural Ressources and Life Sciences, Vienna,

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

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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)

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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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