pig code.pdf
TRANSCRIPT
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Pigs
Code of Recommenda tions for
the Welfare of Livestock
Printed on Recycled Pape r containing 75% post consumer
wa ste a nd 25% Elementa l Chlorine Free virgin pulp.
Defra Publications, Admail 6000London, SW1A 2XX Crown Copyright Ma rch 2003 PB 7950
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C ode ofRecom m endationsfor the W elfare ofLivestock: Pigs
Note
A fter consultation, this Code, (w hich co nsists ofparagraphs 1 to 127), has been put before bo thH ouses of Parliam ent for authority to issue it underSection 3 of the A griculture (M iscellaneousProvisions) Act 1968.
This Section allow s "the M inisters" to produce codesof recom m endations for the w elfare of livestock andto issue such codes once they have been approved indraft by both H ouses of Parliam ent. How ever, theoriginal definition of "the M inisters" (see Section 50
of the 1968 Act) has been changed to reflectdevolution for Scotland and W ales and the creationof the D epartm ent for Environm ent, Food and RuralAffairs. In England, the pow ers of "the M inisters"w ere first transferred to the M inister of Agriculture,Fisheries and Food by the Transfer of Functions(Agriculture and Food) O rder 1999 (S.I. 1999/3141)and then transferred to the Secretary of State bythe M inistry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foo d(Dissolution) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/794).
In Scotland, the pow ers of "the M inisters" h adpreviou sly been transferred to the Scottish M inistersby Section 53 of the Scotland Act 1998 (1998 c.46)and, in W ales, the pow ers of "the M inisters"had previously been transferred to the N ational
A ssem bly for W ales by article 2 (a) of the NationalA ssem bly for W ales (Transfer of Functions) O rder1999 (S.I. 1999/672).
Any reference in this Code to advisory publicationsis for inform ation only and does not form part ofthis Code.
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Page Paragraphs
Management 22 78 - 92G eneral 22 78 - 79Environm ental enrichm ent 22 80 - 81C astration 22 82Tail docking 23 83 - 86Teeth clipping/grinding 23 87 - 88N atural service 24 89A rtificial insem ination , vasectom y and electro-ejaculation 24 90 - 92
Section 2 Specific recom m endations
Farrowing sows and piglets 26 93 - 99
Weaners and rearing pigs 28 100 - 101
Dry sows and gilts 29 102 - 105
Boars 30 106 - 108
Pigs kept in outdoor husbandry systems 31 109 - 127G eneral 31 109 - 112
Biosecurity 31 113 - 114
A ccom m odation 31 115 - 118
Feed and w ater 32 119 - 121
Fences 32 122 - 124
Farrow ing sow s and piglets 32 125 - 126
N ose ringing 32 127
A ppendix
Useful publicationsA Useful publications related to pig w elfare 34
B Legislation related to pig w elfare 35
Code o f Recommenda tions for the Welfare o f Livestock: Pigs
Page Paragraphs
Preface 2
Introduction 5 1 - 6
Section 1 Recom m endations for all pigs
Stockmanship 6 7 - 20G eneral 6 7 - 10
Inspection 6 11 - 13
H andling 7 14 - 16
Transport off-farm 8 17
M arking 9 18 - 20
Health 10 21 - 46
G eneral 10 21 - 22Biosecurity 10 23 - 28
C ondition scoring 11 29
Lam eness 11 30 - 32
External parasites 11 33
Internal parasites 11 34
Equipm ent for vaccination and treatm ent 12 35
N otifiable diseases 12 36 - 37
Sick and injured anim als 12 38 - 44
Record keeping 14 45 - 46
Accommodation 15 47 - 66G eneral 15 47 - 49
Floors 15 50 - 51
Ventilation and tem perature 16 52 - 58
Lighting and noise levels 17 59 - 60A utom ated and m echanical equipm ent 18 61 - 63
Fire and other em ergency precautions 18 64 66
Feed, Water and other Substances 19 67 - 77
Code o f Recommen da tions for t he Welfa re of Livestock: Pigs
C ontents
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32
PrefaceThis preface is not part of the C ode, but is intended to explain its purpose and toindicate the broad considerations upon w hich it is based. Sim ilarly, the legislationquoted in the boxes throughout the docum ent is not part of the C ode but isintended to highlight the relevant legal requirem ents. The law , as quoted in theseboxes, is that in force on the date of publication or reprinting of the C ode (please
turn to the back cover for this inform ation). You should be aw are that any of thelegal requirem ents quoted m ight be subject to change - you should seekconfirm ation before assum ing that these are an accurate statem ent of the lawcurrently in force. (See the A ppendix for a list of relevant legislation).
In R egulation 1 1, it states that:
W here an au tho rised person considers thatanim als are being kept in a w ay w hich is likely to
cause unnecessary pain, suffering or injury, or in
any other w ay in contravention of any provision
of these Reg ulations, he m ay serve a notice on
the person appearing to him to b e in charge of
the an im als requiring that person w ithin the
period stated in the no tice, to take any action
that the authorised p erson considers to be
reason ably necessary to ensure com pliance w ith
these Reg ulations and the autho rised person
shall give his reason s for requiring that action to
be taken.
In Regulation 13 (2), it states that:
In any p roceedings against an ow ner or keeper ofanim als for a failure to com ply w ith Regu lation 3
(1) or 3 (2), the ow ner or keeper as the case m ay
be, m ay rely on his com pliance w ith any relevant
recom m endation s contained in a statutory
w elfare code as tending to establish his
com pliance w ith the relevant Regulation.
The C ode aim s to en courage all those w ho care for
farm anim als to adopt the highest stand ards of
husbandry. W ithout good stockm anship, anim al
w elfare can never be adequ ately protected. If stock-
keepers follow this code it w ill help them to m eet
the necessary w elfare standards. N o m atter how
acceptable a system m ay be in principle, w ithoutcom petent, diligent stockm anship, the w elfare of the
anim als cannot be adequately catered for.
The w elfare of pigs is considered w ithin a fram ew ork
that w as developed b y the Farm Anim al W elfare
C ouncil and know n as the Five Freedom s. Theseform a log ical basis for assessing anim al w elfare
w ithin any husband ry system , together w ith the
actions necessary to safeguard anim al w elfare w ithin
the lim itations of an efficient livestock industry.
The Five Freedo m s are:
1. Freedom from hunger and thirst- by ready access to fresh w ater and a
diet to m aintain full health and vigour;
2. Freedom from discomfort- by providing an appropriate environm ent
including shelter and a com fortable resting
area;
3. Freedom from pain injury or disease- by prevention or by rapid diagnosis and
treatm ent;
4. Freedom to express mostnormal behaviour- by providing sufficient space, proper
facilities and com pany of the anim alsow n kind;
5. Freedom from fear and distress- by ensuring conditions and treatm ent to
avoid m ental suffering.
In acknow ledging these freedo m s, those people
w ho care for livestock should d em on strate: -
caring and responsible planning andm anagem ent;
skilled, know ledgeable and conscientiou sstockm anship;
appropriate environm ental design (for exam ple,of the h usbandry system );
considerate handling and transport;
hum ane slaughter.
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
Regu lation s 2000 (S.I. 2000 N o. 1870), Regu lation
10, provides that:
- A ny person w ho em ploys or engages a person to
attend to an im als shall ensure that the person
attending to the anim als:
is acquainted w ith the provision s of all relevantstatutory w elfare codes relating to the an im als
being attended to;
has access to a copy of tho se codes w hile he isattending to the anim als; and
has received instruction and g uidance on tho secodes.
- A ny person w ho keeps anim als, or w ho causes or
know ing ly perm its anim als to be kept, shall not
attend to them unless he has access to all relevantstatutory w elfare codes relating to the an im als
w hile he is attending to them , and is acquainted
w ith the provision s of those codes.
In R egulation 2 it states thatstatutory w elfarecodem eans a code for the tim e being issuedun der Section 3 of the A griculture (M iscellaneous
Provision s) A ct 19 68 .
To cau se unnecessary pain or un necessary distress
to any livestock on agricultural land is an offence
un der Section 1 (1) of the A griculture
(M iscellaneous Provision s) A ct 196 8. The breach ofa code provision, w hilst not an offence in itself, can
nevertheless be u sed in evidence as tending to
establish the guilt of anyon e accused of causing the
offence of causing un necessary pain o r unnecessary
distress under the A ct (Section 3 (4)).
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (Eng land)
Regu lations 2000 (S.I. 20 00 N o. 1870 ), Regu lation
3 (1), states that ow ners and keep ers of anim als
shall take all reasonable steps:
to ensure the w elfare of the anim als under theircare; and
to ensure that the anim als are not caused any
un necessary pain, suffering or injury.
In Regulation 3 (3), it states that:
In deciding w hether the condition s under w hichanim als are being bred or kept com ply w ith the
requirem ents set out in Schedule 1 of the
Regu lations, the ow ner and keeper of the anim als
shall have regard to their species, and to their
degree of developm ent, adap tation and
do m estication, and to their ph ysiological and
etholog ical needs in accordance w ith established
experience and scientific kn ow ledge.
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1 This Code (w hich only applies in England) covers
all pigs. The w ord pigsrefers to all porcine stock,and includ es w ild boar kept for farm ing pu rposes.
A piglet refers to a pig from birth to w eaning .
2 The C odes recom m end ations apply to pigs und erall hu sbandry system s. Section 1 of the C od e gives
the recom m endation s that apply to all ages and
types of pig. Section 2 covers the recom m endation s
that ap ply to specific categories of pigs (such as
boars or pigs kept outdoors). If these
recom m endation s are follow ed, they w ill help to
protect the stocks w elfare. The C odesrecom m endations are not a com plete list and they
are not m eant to replace expert advice such as from
a veterinary surgeon .
3 The husbandry system that is used and the
num ber of pigs kept at any one tim e, should
depen d on:
the suitability of the farm environ m ent;
how m any anim als the farm canaccom m odate at one tim e;
the com petence of the stock-keeper; and
ho w lon g the stock-keep ers have to carryout their duties.
4 O rganic pig farm ing is cond ucted according to
addition al, legally enforced standards. H ow ever,
no thing in those standards affectsthe legal respon sibilities o f organic farm ers
regarding po sitive anim al w elfare. A ny m atters
w hich appear to conflict w ith organ ic standards,
should be discussed w ith you r organic certifying
bod y. In add ition , you should seek exp ert advice,
such as from a veterinary surgeon .
5 N o changes should be m ade to husbandry,
equipm ent or production until the possible effects
on anim al w elfare have been considered. In
particular, the po ssible effect on anim al w elfare
should be considered before installing m ore
com plex or elaborate equ ipm ent than has
previou sly been used. In g eneral, the greater therestriction im po sed on the anim al and the greater
the co m plexity of the overall system , the less the
anim al is able to u se its behaviour to m od ify the
effect of unfavourable cond ition s. System s invo lving
a high degree of con trol over the en viron m ent
should only be installed w here conscientiou s staff
skilled in b oth anim al husbandry and the use of the
equipm ent w ill alw ays be available.
6 The relevant anim al w elfare legislation applies to
ow ners as w ell as to anyone loo king after pigs on
their behalf, w herever the pigs areeither on the
farm or du ring transport. A w ritten contract can be
useful in m aking sure that everyone invo lved is clear
abou t his or her anim al w elfare respon sibilities.H ow ever, the obligations im posed by law w ill still
apply, w hether or not a contract exists. C ertain
aspects of livestock husbandry can present hazards
to the h ealth and safety of the stock-keeper. A dvice
on such m atters is available from the local
A gricultural Safety Inspector of the H ealth and
Safety Executive.
5
IntroductionThe Protection of A nim als Acts 191 1 2000
contain the g eneral law relating to cruelty toanim als. Broadly it is an o ffence (un der Section 1 o f
the 1911 A ct) to b e cruel to any dom estic or
captive an im al by anything that is done or om itted
to be done.
Section 12 (2) of the 1 911 A ct em pow ers a police
constable to p lace, in safe custody, anim als in the
charge of persons apprehended for an o ffence
un der the A ct until the end of proceed ing s or the
court orders the return o f the anim als. The
reasonable costs involved, including any necessary
veterinary treatm ent, are recoverable by the p olice
from the ow ner upon conviction.
U nder Section 1 o f the Protection of Anim als(A m endm ent) A ct 1954, as am ended by the 198 8
A ct, the court has the po w er to disqualify a p erson
convicted under those A cts from having custody of
any anim al. The ban can specify a p articular kind of
anim al or all anim als for such period as the court
thinks fit.
The Protection of A nim als (A m end m ent) A ct 2000
supplem ents the 1 911 A ct by allow ing a court to
m ake an order relating to the care, disposal or
slaugh ter of anim als kept for com m ercial pu rposes
that are the subject of a prosecution brough t un der
the 19 11 A ct by a prosecutor. A prosecutorisdefined in the 20 00 A ct to include certain bo dies
that condu ct prosecution s (C row n ProsecutionService, G overnm ent departm ents and local
authorities) and any person or bodies app roved by
the D epartm ent for Environm ent, Food and Rural
A ffairs (D efra). The 2 000 A ct then allow s
reasonab le costs to b e recovered from the ow ner by
the prosecutor.
This Code applies in England only and has been issued
by the Secretary of State for Environm ent, Food and
Rural Affairs (follow ing its approval in draft by both
H ouses of Parliam ent). It replaces (also only in
England) the existing Code, w hich w as issued in 1983.
Sim ilar Codes are being produced in Scotland,
W ales and N orthern Ireland. U ntil these new C odesare issued, the existing C od e w ill con tinu e to app ly
in Scotland an d W ales. Separate arrangem ents exist
in N orthern Ireland.
THIS W ELFARE CO DE W AS ISSUED O N
11 M ARCH 2003.
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11 The h ealth and w elfare of anim als depends on
them being regularly inspected. Ad equate lightingm ust be available to enable thorough inspection of
the stock. All stock-keepers should be fam iliar w ith
the norm al beh aviour of pigs. Bad ly m anaged and
unhealthy pigs w ill not thrive, and it is essential that
the stock-keeper should w atch for sign s of distress,
disease or aggression tow ards an anim al by other
pigs in the group. To do this, it is im portant that
stock-keepers have enough tim e to:
(a) inspect the stock;
(b) check equipm ent; and
(c) take action to deal w ith any problem .
12 The stock-keeper should alw ays be looking outfor sign s of ill health in pigs, w hich include:
(a) separation from the group;
(b) listlessn ess;
(c) sw ollen navel, udder or joints;
(d) rapid or irregular breathing;
(e) persistent coughing or panting;
(f) shivering;
(g) discolouration or blistering of the skin;
(h) loss of body con dition ;
(i) sneezing;
(j) lam eness (inspection of the feet and legs is
particularly im portant);
(k) lack of co-ordination ;
(l) constipation;
(m ) diarrho ea;
(n) poor appetite; and
(o) vom iting.
13 You sho uld b e able to anticipate problem s orrecogn ise them in their earliest stages an d, in m any
cases, you should be able to identify the cause and
pu t m atters right im m ediately. A lw ays consider the
possibility that the pigs m ay be affected by a
notifiable disease (see p aragraphs 36 - 37). If thecause is not obviou s, or if your im m ediate action is
not effective, a veterinary surgeon or other expert
should be called in im m ediatelyfailure to do som ay cause unnecessary suffering.
Handling
The W elfare of Farm ed Anim als (England)
Reg ulations 2000 (S.I. 2000 N o. 187 0), Sched ule 1,
paragraph 30, states that:
N o person shall apply an electric current to any
anim als for the purposes of im m obilisation.
14 Pigs should b e m oved at their ow n p ace. Youshould encourage them gentlyespecially aroundcorners and w here it is slippery underfoo t. You
should avoid too m uch noise, excitem ent or force.
You m ust not put pressure on or strike at any
particularly sensitive part of the body. A nything you
use, such as pig b oards and flat slap sticks, to gu ide
the anim als should only be used for that purpose
and slap sticks m ust not have a sharp or pointed
end. The use of electric goads on adult pigs should
be avoided as far as possible. If go ads are used you
should alw ays ensure that there is sufficient space for
the p igs to m ove forw ard.
15 You sho uld m ake sure that all floo rs andw alkw ays are w ell m aintained and provide a non-slipsurface. The floor shou ld not slop e too steeply, as
steeper slopes can cause leg problem s.
The W elfare of Farm ed Anim als (England)
(A m end m ent) Reg ulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),
Schedule 6, Part II, paragraphs 4 and 5 state that:
4. No person shall tether or cause to be tethered
any pig except w hile it is undergo ing any
exam ination, test, treatm ent or operation carried
out for any veterinary pu rpose.
7
Section 1 Recommenda tions for a ll pigs
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England) Regulations
2000 (S.I. 2000 N o. 1870) define a keeperas anyperson responsible for or in charge of anim als
w hether on a perm anent or tem porary basis.
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
Reg ulations 2000 (S.I. 2000 N o. 1870), Schedule 1,
paragraph 1, states that:
A nim als shall be cared for by a sufficient num ber of
staff w ho po ssess the appropriate ability, know ledge
and professional com petence.
Genera l
7The stock-keeper has the m ost significant
influence on the w elfare of pigs. In general, the
larger the size of the unit the greater the degree of
skill and care needed to safeguard w elfare. The size
of a unit sho uld n ot be increased, no r sho uld a large
unit be set up , unless it is certain that the level of
stockm anship w ill be sufficiently high to safegu ard
the w elfare of each individu al pig.
8 The stock-keeper should d raw up a w ritten health
and w elfare plan w ith the herds veterinary surgeonand, w here n ecessary, other technical advisers. You
should review and update your health and w elfare
plan at least once a year. This plan should set out
health and husbandry activities that cover the cycle
of production and include strategies to prevent,treat or lim it existing disease problem s. The plan
should includ e enough records for you to assess the
basic output of the h erd an d m onitor the w elfare of
the pigs.
9 Those respon sible for m anaging the farm should
m ake sure that the pigs are cared for by enough w ell
m otivated and com petent staff. These staff need to
be aw are of the w elfare needs of pigs and be
capable of protecting them from all expected
problem s before they are given any responsibility.
This m eans that the staff need specific know ledge
and skills, w hich they sho uld develop on-farm by
w orking w ith a skilled stock-keeper w ho isexperienced in the relevant system . W herever
possible, staff should also attend relevant courses run
by a suitable training o rganisation. Ideally, the
training should lead to form al recognition of
com petence. Any contract or casual labour used on
the farm should be trained and com petent in the
relevant activity.
10 Stock-keepers should be know ledg eable and
com petent in a w ide range of anim al health and
w elfare skills, w hich should include:
hand ling skills (see paragraphs 1 4 17);
preventing and treating lam eness (see paragraphs
30 32);
preventing and treating internal and externalparasites (see paragraphs 33 34);
giving m edicines by injection (see paragraph 35);
providing appropriate care to sick and injured pigs(see paragraphs 38 - 44)
care of the sow and her litter (see paragraphs 93 99 ); and
m anagem ent of pigs to m inim ise aggression (seeparagraph 101).
If the stock-keeper is expected to perform specific
tasks on-farm (for exam ple, artificial insem ination or
teeth clipping/grind ing), then they should be trainedand com petent.
Inspection
The W elfare of Farm ed Anim als (England)
(A m endm ent) Regu lations 2003 (S.I. 200 3 N o. 299)
Schedule 6, Part II, paragraph 2, requires that:
A ll pigs shall be inspected by the ow ner or keeper of
the pigs at least once a day to check that they are in
a state of w ell being .
6
Section 1 Recomme nda tions for all pigs
Stockm anship
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27 A program m e of pest control should be in place
for, for exam ple, rodents. Every effort should bem ade to m ake housing proof against birds, such as
starlings. Dom estic pets, feral cats and other w ild
anim als should be discouraged.
28 It is not possible to prevent all airborne infections
from entering a unit, but w hen plann ing new units
these should be sited as far as is practicable from
other pig units, as this w ill reduce the risk of spread
of airborne infectiou s diseases. You can find m ore
inform ation in the D efra pub lication Betterbiosecurity provides peace of m ind , healthy stock and
a m ore viable business(see the A pp endix).
Condition Scoring
29 Body condition scoring can contribu te g reatly to
good husbandry and help to avoid costly w elfare
problem s. Con dition scoring is an easy techniqu e to
learn. Basically, it m eans that you can quickly assess
the bo dy reserves (i.e. fat) of ind ividual anim als. The
technique w ill be of benefit if you use it as a rou tine
m anagem ent tool to check that sow s are in the
target body co ndition for the various stages of the
breeding cycle. This w ill be particularly useful at:
(a) m id-pregn ancy;
(b) farrow ing/early lactation ; and
(c) at w eaning/drying off.
You sho uld adjust feeding as necessary for anim als
that have becom e too fat or too thin. You w ill find
m ore inform ation in the D efra bookletC on ditionscoring of pigs(see the A ppendix).
Lameness
30 Lam eness in any anim al is usually a sign that they
are in pain. Lam eness in pigs is a sign of ill health
and discom fort. It clearly affects an anim als w elfare,as w ell as their perform ance and production . If a
significant percentage of your pigs have severe
lam eness, this is a sign of disease o r poor overallw elfare standards w ithin the herd. In these
circum stances, you should seek urgent veterinary
advice. You can find m ore inform ation in D efrasbo okletLam eness in pigs(see the A ppend ix).
31 If lam e pigs do not respon d to treatm ent, you
need to call a veterinary surgeon im m ediately.
Lam eness can have a num ber of causes and early
and accurate diagno sis of the specific type of
lam eness affecting the herd w ill enable you to take
rapid and appropriate action.
32 If a lam e anim al does not respon d to the
veterinary surgeo ns treatm ent, you should have it
culled rather than leave it to suffer. If you cannottranspo rt lam e anim als w ithout causing them m ore
pain, you should slaughter them on the farm (see
paragraphs 40 - 42). A lso, you m ust not transport
any pig off-farm that cannot stand up unaided or
cannot bear their w eight on all fou r legs w hen
standing or w alking .
External Parasites
33 You should control diseases caused by external
parasites especially w here the anim als skin isirritated and it is rubbing the area w ith theappropriate parasiticides. You should treat your
anim als for parasites in accordance w ith veterinaryadvice and ensure that control and treatm ent
regim es form part of your herd health and w elfare
plan.
Internal Parasites
34 You should control internal parasites by using
effective anthelm intics (drugs to treat parasites) or
vaccines. As part of your herd health and w elfare
plan, you should ensure that treatm ent is based on
the life cycle of the particular parasites you are
11
Section 1 Recommen da tions for all pigs
Genera l
21 M aintenance of good health is the m ost basic
requirem ent affecting the w elfare of the pig.
M easures to p rotect health include good h ygiene,
go od hu sbandry and effective ventilation .
Vaccinations m ay be ap propriate against certain
diseases. You should ensure that only authorised
veterinary m edicinal products, including vaccines, are
used. U seful inform ation on the health status of the
herd can be obtained from feedback at m eat
inspection in the abattoir.
22 The w ritten health and w elfare plan (see
paragraph 8) should also, as a m inim um , look at:
(a) biosecurity arrangem ents on -farm and duringtransport;
(b) purchased stock procedures;
(c) any specific disease co ntrol program m es, such as
salm onella, erysipelas, E. coli, m ycoplasm a and parvo
virus;
(d) vaccination policy and tim ing;
(e) isolation procedures;
(f) m ixing and grouping of pigs;
(g) external and internal parasite control;
(h) lam eness m onitoring and foot care;
(i) routine proced ures, such as ear tagging; and
(j) prevention and control of vices such as tail biting.
The health and w elfare plan should m ake sure that
anim als get any necessary m edical treatm ent at the
correct tim e an d in the correct dose.
Biosecurity
23 Biosecurity m eans reducing the risk of disease
occurring or spreading to other anim als. G ood
biosecurity can be obtained through:
good m anagem ent/husbandry;
good hygiene;
reducing stress in the h erd; and
effective disease control system s such asvaccination and w orm ing program m es.
Biosecu rity results in:
farm units being m ore secure from theintroduction of new infectiou s diseases; and
the spread of any diseases on the unit itself beingkept to a m inim um .
If you and your stock-keepers take proper
precautions w hen you m ove w ithin the farm or you
m ove anim als and equipm ent, you can greatlyredu ce the chance of spreading any disease.
24 Incom ing stock presents the greatest risk to the
health of the herd as regards infectiou s disease.
You should ask the ven dor to provide you w ith
inform ation on the health status of the herd an d
the herd's rou tine vaccination and other treatm ents
(e.g. w orm ing ) or disease prevention m easures. You
should have isolation facilities so that you can isolate
and ob serve/test inco m ing stock for a suitable p eriod
w hen they arrive, before they join the rest of the
herd.
25 O nly essential visitors should be allow ed on to the
un it and they should follow disinfection proced uresand w ear unit clothing and footw ear. A visitor book
should b e provided and visitors asked to sign to say
they have not been near other pigs or livestock for
an agreed period , as stipu lated in your herd health
and w elfare plan. A system should b e provided to
alert staff of visitors at the gate.
26 Loading facilities and, w here possible, feed bins
should be sited at the unit perim eter. Vehicles, w hich
visit other pig units, should be kept off the unit w herever
possible but w here entry is essential, w heels and
footw ear should be cleansed and disinfected thoroughly.
10
Section 1 Recomme nda tions for all pigs
H ealth
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tackling. You should treat your anim als for parasites
in accordance w ith veterinary advice. Organicproducers, in particular, should seek veterinary advice
on this aspect of their herd health and w elfare plan.
Equipment for Vaccinat ionan d Treat ment
35 You m ust m ake sure that all the equipm ent you use
for vaccinating and treating the anim als is in good
w orking order. You should regularly clean and sterilise
any equipm ent you use for injections, to avoid infections
and abscesses and, ideally, use disposable needles. Any
dangerous objects should be disposed of safely.
Notifiable Diseases
36 If you suspect that any anim al is suffering from a
notifiable disease, you h ave a legal duty to n otify a
D ivisional Veterinary M anager (D VM ) of D efra as
soon as possible.
37 The follow ing are the m ain no tifiable diseases
w hich affect pigs (please note that this is not a
com plete list):
African sw ine fever
Anthrax
Aujeszkys disease
Classical swine fe ver
Foot-and-mouth disease
Rabies
Swine vesicular disease
Teschen disea se
Vesicular stom at itis
For m ore inform ation on these d iseases contact your
veterinary surgeon or local A nim al Health D ivisional
O ffice.
Sick an d Injured Anima ls
The W elfare of Farm ed Anim als (England)
Reg ulations 2000 (S.I. 2000 N o. 187 0), Sched ule 1,
paragraph 5 states that:
any anim als w hich appear to be ill or injured -
- shall be cared for appropriately w ithout delay; and
- w here they do not respond to care, veterinary
advice shall be obtained as soon as po ssible.
The W elfare of Farm ed Anim als (England)
(A m endm ent) Regu lations 2003 (S.I. 200 3 N o. 299)
Schedule 6, Part II, paragraph 3 states that: -
w here necessary, sick or injured pigs shall be
tem po rarily isolated in suitable accom m od ation w ithdry com fortable bedding.
38 You sho uld take action im m ediately if any pigs
are injured or appear ill or distressed. It is im portant
to exclude the possibility of notifiable diseases. If you
are in any dou bt about the cause of the ill health o r
the m ost effective treatm ent, consult your veterinary
surgeon w ithout delay. Likew ise, if an anim al you
have treated does not respon d to treatm ent, seek
your veterinary surgeons advice.
39 Your health and w elfare plan should specify a
procedure for isolating and caring for sick or injured
anim als. Hospital pens sho uld be available for each
category of pig o n the u nit. These pens should b eeasily reached so that you can regularly check on the
anim al. W hen m oving sick or injured pigs to the
ho spital pens, you should ensure that unn ecessary
suffering does not occur. In these h ospital pens, you
should m ake sure that drinking w ater is freely
available, and that there are feeding facilities.
Particular care is needed w here recum ben t anim als
are isolated to en sure that there is easy access to
w ater and feed and that the anim als are eating and
drinking .
40 If an unfit anim al does not respond to treatm ent,
it sho uld be hum anely killed on -farm (culled). Youshould cull any anim als suffering from painful and
incurable condition s im m ediately.
The W elfare of Anim als (Transport) O rder 19 97 (S.I.
19 97 N o. 1480), A rticles 4 (1) and 6 respectively,
provide that: -
- No person shall transport any anim al in a w ay
w hich causes or is likely to cau se injury or
un necessary suffering to that anim al.
- No person shall transport any anim al un less:
- it is fit for the intended journey; and
- suitable provision has been m ade for its care during
the jou rney and on arrival at the place of destination .
For these purposes an anim al shall not be considered
fit for its intended journey if it is ill, injured, infirm or
fatigued, unless it is only slightly ill, injured, infirm or
fatigu ed and the intended jou rney is not likely to
cause it unnecessary suffering, likely to give birth
during transport, has given birth during the previous
48 hours or is a new born anim al in w hich the navel
has not com pletely healed.
41 You can only transport an unfit anim al if you aretaking it to a veterinary surgeon for treatm ent or
diagnosis, or to the nearest available place of
slaughterand then , only provided they are not
likely to be subject to unnecessary suffering du ringthe jou rney by reason o f their unfitness. M ore
inform ation can be found in D efras booklet,
G uidance on the transport of casualty farm
anim als(see the A ppendix).
42 In an em ergency, you m ay have to slaughter an
anim al im m ediately to prevent its suffering. In such
cases, you sho uld destroy the anim al hum anely and,
w here possible, it should be done by som eone w ho
is suitably trained and com petent both in slaugh ter
m ethod s and use of the equipm ent. U nder these
em ergency circum stances a slaugh ter licence is not
required.
It is a gen eral offence under the W elfare of A nim als
(Slaugh ter or K illing) Regulations 19 95 (S.I. 199 5 N o.731) as am ended by the W elfare of Anim als
(Slaughter or Killing) (A m endm ent) Regulations 1999
(S.I. 1999 N o. 400), to cause or perm it any avoidable
excitem ent, pain o r suffering to any anim al du ring
slaughter or killing (regulation 4 (1)).
The general offence applies in all cases, but the
detailed provisions in respect of the m ethod of
slaug hter or killing do not apply w hen an anim al has
to be killed im m ediately for em ergency reasons
(regulation 13 (2)).
43 If you have to slaugh ter the anim als on-farm in a
non-em ergen cy situation, you m ust do so using a
perm itted m ethod that is in line w ith current w elfareat slaughter legislation (see box below ).
The W elfare of Anim als (Slaugh ter or Killing )
Reg ulations 1995 (S.I. 1995 N o. 731) as am end ed
by the W elfare of Anim als (Slaugh ter or Killing )
(A m endm ent) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 199 9 N o. 400)
state that w hen an anim al is slaughtered or killed
on-farm , this m ust be do ne using a perm itted
m ethod. The anim al could be:
- stunn ed using a captive bolt pistol, concussion
stunn er or electrical stun ner after w hich it m ust be
follow ed by bleeding - or pithed - w ithout delay
(regulation 14 and Schedules 5 (Part II) and 6). If the
anim al is stunned and bled, the operation m ust be
carried ou t by a slaugh term an licensed for these
op erations (Schedule 1), un less the ow ner is
slaug htering an anim al for his ow n consum ption; or
- killed by a free b ullet (regulation 15 and Schedule
5 Part III); the anim al should be killed w ith a sing le
shot to the head.
44 A fter slaughter, you m ust dispose of the carcass
by a suitable m ethod (see box below ):
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Section 1 Recommen da tions for all pigs
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Section 1 Recomme nda tions for all pigs
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The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
(Am end m ent) Reg ulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),Schedule 6, Part II, paragraphs 6 and 7 state that:
6. (1) A pig shall be free to turn round w ithout
difficulty at all tim es.
(2) The accom m odation used for pigs shall be
constructed in such a w ay as to allow each
pig to
(a) stand up, lie dow n and rest w ithout
difficulty;
(b) have a clean, com fortable and adequately
drained place in w hich it can rest;
(c) see other pigs, unless the pig is isolated for
veterinary reasons;
(d) m aintain a com fortable tem perature; and
(e) have enough space to allow all the anim als
to lie dow n at the sam e tim e.
7 (1) The dim ension of any stall or pen u sed for
ho lding ind ividu al pigs in accordance w ith these
regulation s shall be such that the internal area is
no t less than the square of the length of the pig,
and no internal side is less than 75% of the
length of the pig, the length o f the pig in each
case being m easured from the tip of its snout to
the base of its tail w hile it is standing w ith its
back straigh t.
(2) Paragraph 7 (1) shall not apply to a fem ale
pig for the p eriod betw een seven days beforethe p redicted d ay of farrow ing and the day on
w hich the w eaning of her piglets (including any
fostered by her) is com plete.
Genera l
47 You should seek appropriate w elfare advice
w hen new buildings are to be constructed or existing
bu ildings m od ified. Som e specialised bu ildings use
com plex m echan ical and electrical equ ipm ent w hich
require additional technical and m anagem ent skills
and m ay require training to ensure that husbandry
and w elfare requirem ents are m et.
The W elfare of Farm ed Anim als (England)
Reg ulations 2000 (S.I. 2000 N o. 187 0), Sched ule 1,
paragraphs 11 and 12 state that:
- m aterials used for the construction of
accom m od ation , and, in particular for the
construction of pens, cages, stalls and equipm ent
w ith w hich anim als m ay com e into contact, shall
not be harm ful to them and shall be capable of
being tho rough ly cleaned and d isinfected.
- accom m odation and fittings for securing anim als
shall be co nstructed and m aintained so that there
are no sharp edges or protrusion s likely to cause
injury to them .
48 The internal surfaces of housing and pens should
be m ade of m aterials that you can easily clean and
disinfect regularly, and easily replace w hen necessary.
49 If you are going to treat these surfaces, use
paints or w oo d preservatives that are safe to use
w ith anim als. There is a risk of lead poisoning from
old paintw ork, especially if you u se second-hand
building m aterials.
Floors
The W elfare of Farm ed Anim als (England)(A m end m ent) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),
Schedule 6, Part II, paragraphs 12 and 13 state that:
12. W here pigs are kept in a bu ilding, floors shall
(a) be sm oo th but no t slipp ery so as to prevent
injury to the pigs;
(b) be so designed, constructed an d m aintained
as not to cause injury or suffering to pigs
stand ing or lying on them ;
15
A ccom m odation
Section 1 Recommen da tions for all pigs
A rticle 5 of the A nim al By-Products O rder 199 9 (S.I.
19 99 N o. 646) requires that fallen stock are disposedof by:
- despatch to a knackers yard, hu nt kennel or sim ilar
prem ises;
- incineration;
- rendering ;
- in certain circum stances, burial in such a w ay that
carnivorous anim als cannot gain access to the
carcass, or burning .
This provision applies to the disposal of stillborn
piglets and foetuses, as w ell as to older pigs.
The D ogs Acts 1906 - 28 include provisions m aking itan offence for a person know ingly to perm it a
carcass to rem ain u nburied in a place to w hich dogs
cou ld gain access.
A t present, burial or burning is only perm itted in very
lim ited circum stances. If you plan to bury the carcass
on -farm , you should first check that the local
authority allow s this under the A nim als By-Products
O rder 1999. H ow ever, from 30 A pril 200 3, new EU
legislation, the A nim al By-Produ cts Regulation , w ill
ban the routine burial and burning of anim al
carcases.
Record Keeping
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
Reg ulations 2000 (S.I. 2000 N o. 1870), Schedule 1,
paragraph 7 states that:
A record shall be m aintained of
(a) any m edicinal treatm ent given to anim als; and
(b) the num ber of m ortalities found on each
inspection of anim als carried ou t in accordance w ith
any of the follow ing provisions.
Schedule 1, paragraph 8 states that:
- The record referred to in paragraph 7 shall be
retained for a period of at least three years from the
date on w hich the m edicinal treatm ent w as given,
or the date of the inspection, as the case m ay be,
and shall be m ade available to an authorised person
w hen carrying out an inspection or w hen otherw ise
requ ested by such person.
45 O nly authorised veterinary m edicinal products
should be used. You m ust keep full records of all
m edicines used, including w here it w as bought. You
m ust also keep records for at least three years of:
the date you treated the anim als;
the identity and quantity of m edicine used; and
w hich anim al or group of anim als you treated.
It is a requirem ent under the A nim als and Anim al
Products (Exam ination for Residues and M axim um
Residue Lim its) Regulations 1997 (S.I. 1997 No. 1729),
Part V, paragraph 32, that you keep a record of:
The nam e and ad dress of the sup plier of the
veterinary m edicinal product.
You w ill find m ore inform ation in the C ode of
Practice on responsible use of anim al m edicines on
the farm (see the Append ix).
46 In term s of individual anim al m anagem ent, you
m ay find it useful, as part of the health and w elfareplan, to no te specific cases of m astitis, lam eness and
other disorders, and w here appropriate, the relevant
treatm ent g iven.
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Section 1 Recommen da tions for all pigs
(c) be suitable for the size and w eigh t of the
pigs; and
(d) w here no litter is provided, form a rigid,
even and stable surface.
13 . W hen concrete slatted floo rs are used for pigs
kept in group s, the m axim um w idth of the
openings m ust be:
(a) 11 m m for piglets;
(b) 14 m m for w eaners;
(c) 18 m m for rearing pigs;
(d) 20 m m for gilts after service and sow s.
The m inim um slat w idth m ust be:
(e) 50 m m for piglets and w eaners;
(f) 80 m m for rearing pigs, gilts after service
and sow s.
50 G ood floor design and adequate m aintenance is
essential. Poorly constructed floors, slats that are not
properly m atched to the w eight/size of pig and
surfaces that are w orn and /or dam aged, can cause
injury to the feet and legs of pigs. Excessive gaps
should be avo ided as they can trap the feet/claw s
and m ay cause physical dam age. D am aged floors
m ust be repaired im m ediately.
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
(Am end m ent) Reg ulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),
Schedule 6, Part II, paragraph 11 requires:W here bedding is provided , this m ust be clean, dry
and not harm ful to the pigs.
51 The lying area should alw ays be kept dry and
pen floors, includ ing the dun ging area, should be
drained effectively. W here bedd ing is provided,
this m ust be clean and dry, regularly topped up
or changed, and not detrim ental to the health of
the pigs.
Vent ila tion a nd Tempe rat ure
The W elfare of Farm ed Anim als (England)
Reg ulations 2000 (S.I. 2000 N o. 187 0), Sched ule 1,
paragraph 1 3 states that:
- air circulation, dust levels, tem perature, relative
hu m idity and gas concentration s shall be kep t w ithin
lim its w hich are not harm ful to the anim als.
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
(A m end m ent) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),
Schedule 6, Part II, paragraph 17 states that:
Pigs shall not be kept in an environm ent w hich
involves m aintaining high tem peratures and high
hum idity (know n as the sw eat-box system ).
52 A ll new buildings should be designed w ith the
anim alscom fort in m ind, and w ith the aim ofpreventing respiratory diseases. The buildings should
provide eno ugh ventilation through out the year for
the type, size and num ber of stock to be housed in
them . In addition to m eeting the ventilation
requ irem ents, the system should be designed to
avoid draughts affecting the pigsliving space.
53 Effective ven tilation is essen tial to the w ell-being
of the stock as it provides fresh air, rem oves noxious
gases and aids in controlling tem perature. Excessive
heat loss should be prevented either by the structural
insulation of the external w alls, roof and the floor in
the lying area, or by the provision of adequatebedd ing . H eat gain to building s in ho t cond itions w ill
be m inim ised by the insulation in the w alls and roo f.
54 Pigs have a very lim ited ability to sw eat and are
acutely susceptible to h eat stress. Possible cooling
m ethods, including blow ing air over the pigs in a
part of the pen, providing w ater spray/m isting
system s or sim ply w etting part of the floor w ith a
ho sepipe, can be used to ensure that pigs in
buildings do not becom e overheated in hot w eather.
There should alw ays be som e dry lying area available
as a m atter of choice so that the pigs can m ove
aw ay from the cooler conditions.16
Section 1 Recomme nda tions for all pigs
55 Livew eight, group size, floo r type, air speed and
feed intake m arkedly affect tem peraturerequ irem ents and you m ust take these factors into
account w hen determ ining the m inim um
tem perature appropriate in each case. Slatted floo rs
and low feed levels generally increase tem perature
requirem ents w hilst straw bedd ing , high feed levels
and higher body w eights decrease requ irem ents. For
m ost circum stances, an appropriate m inim um
tem perature can be found w ithin the rang e given
below :
Catego ry of Pig Temperature
( C) ( F)
Sow s 15 - 20 59 - 68
Suckling pig s in creeps 25 - 30 77 84
Weaned pigs (3 4 w eeks) 27 - 32 81 90
La t e r w e a n ed p ig s (5 w e eks + ) 2 2 - 2 7 71 80
Finishing pig s (po rkers) 15 - 21 59 70
Finishing p ig s (b aco ne rs) 13 - 18 55 64
56 You should avoid w ide or abrupt fluctuation s in
tem perature in housing system s w ithin any 24-hour
period. W ide fluctuations in the daily tem perature
regim e can create stress that m ay trigg er outbreaks
of vice, such as tail biting , or disease such as
pneum onia. You should m aintain a higher than
norm al level of vigilance at these tim es.
57 W hen pigs are m oved to new accom m odation,
the possibility of cold stress occurring as a result of
sudden chang es in the therm al environm ent should
be reduced. This can be done by ensuring that the
pen is dry, by the provision of bedding , such asstraw, or by preheating the building.
58 W hen you are rem oving slurry from under slats,
you m ust take special care to avoid fouling the air
w ith dangerous gases (such as am m onia), w hich can
kill bo th hum ans and anim als. Bu ilding s sho uld either
be em pty or very w ell ventilated d uring this
procedure.
Light ing a nd Noise Levels
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England) Regulations
2000 (S.I. 2000 No. 1870), Schedule 1, paragraphs 3
and 16 state that:
3. W here anim als are kept in a building, adeq uate
lighting (w hether fixed or portable) shall be
available to enable them to be thoroughly
inspected at any tim e.
16.An im als kept in b uildings shall not be kept
w ithout an appropriate period of rest from
artificial lighting.
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
(A m endm ent) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 No. 299),
Schedule 6, Part II, paragraphs 8 and 18 state that:
8. W here pigs are kept in an artificially lit building
then ligh ting w ith an intensity of at least 40 lux
shall be p rovided for a m inim um period of 8 hours
per day subject to paragraph 16 of Schedu le 1 to
these regulations [see box above].
18.Pigs shall not be exposed to constant or sudden
noise. Noise levels above 85 d BA shall be avoided
in that part of any building w here pigs are kep t.
59 You should have enough fixed or portable
ligh ting available at any tim e if you need to inspect
any anim als, for exam ple, during farrow ing.
60 The siting of m achinery such as feed m illing units
should be appropriate to m inim ise the noise im pact
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The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
Regulation s 2000 (S.I. 20 00 N o. 1870), Schedule 1,paragraphs 22 - 24 an d 2 6 state that:
22.A nim als shall be fed a w holesom e diet w hich
is appropriate to their age and species and
w hich is fed to them in sufficient quantity to
m aintain them in g ood h ealth and to satisfy
their nutritional needs and to prom ote a positive
state of w ell-being .
23 .N o an im als shall be p rovided w ith food or
liqu id in a m anner, nor shall such food or liquid
contain any substance, w hich m ay cause them
un necessary suffering or injury.
24.All anim als shall have access to feed at
intervals appropriate to their physiological needs
(and, in any case, at least once a day), exceptw here a veterinary surgeon acting in the exercise
of h is profession otherw ise d irects.
26.Feeding and w atering equ ipm ent shall be
designed, constructed, placed and m aintained
so that contam ination of food an d w ater and
the h arm ful effects of com petition betw een
anim als are m inim ised.
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
(A m end m ent) Reg ulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299)
Schedule 6, Part II, paragraph 1 4 states that:
14.(1) All pigs m ust be fed at least once a day.
(2) W here pigs are housed in a group and do not
have continuous access to feed, or are no t fed by
an autom atic feeding system feeding the anim als
individually, each pig m ust have access to the
food at the sam e tim e as the others in the
feeding group.
67 A ll pigs need a balanced daily diet to m aintain
full health and vigour. You shou ld p lan any chan ges
in the diet and introd uce them gradually.
68 W hen introducing p igs to un accustom ed
ho using , you shou ld m ake sure that the anim als are
able to find the feed an d w ater points. W hen new ly
w eaned piglets are m oved to pens w here w ater is
provided through nipple drinkers unfam iliar to the
piglets, it is good practice to p rovide alternativew ater sou rces for the first few days.
69 W here pigs are fed on a rationed feed level to
control intake, you should ensure that adequate
trou gh space is provided to ensure that all pigs can
receive their allocation. The follow ing guidelines for
trough space per pig ap ply:
WEIGHTOF PIG (KG) TROUGH SPACE (CMS)
5 10
10 13
15 15
35 20
60 23
90 28
120 30
70 G oo d hygiene is necessary for storage and
feed ing system s as m ou lds can develop in stale
feed w hich can have a detrim ental effect on pigs.
Feed bins sho uld b e cleaned ou t regularly.
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (Eng land)
(A m endm ent) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),
Schedule 6, Part II, paragraph 15 states that:
A ll pigs over tw o w eeks of age m ust have
perm anent access to a sufficient quantity of fresh
drinking w ater.
19
Feed, w ater and other substances
Section 1 Recommen da tions for all pigs
on housed stock. A ny bell or buzzer w hich is likely to
occur erratically, for exam ple, a visitor to the site,should be sufficiently loud to attract hum an attention
but w ithout causing undue alarm to the stock.
Automa ted a nd Mechanica lEquipment
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
Reg ulations 2000 (S.I. 2000 N o. 1870), Schedule 1,
paragraphs 18 - 21, state that:
18.A ll autom ated or m echanical equipm ent
essential for the health and w ell being of the
anim als shall be inspected at least once a day to
check there is no defect in it.
19.W here defects in autom ated or m echanical
equipm ent of the type referred to in the
paragraph above are discovered, these shall be
rectified im m ediately, or if this is im possible,
appropriate steps shall be taken to safeguard the
health and w ell-being of the anim als pending the
rectification of such defects including the use of
alternative m ethods of feeding and w atering and
m ethods of providing and m aintaining a
satisfactory environ m ent.
20.W here the health and w ell-being of the anim als
is dependent on an artificial ventilation system
(a) provision shall be m ade for an appropriate
back-up system to guarantee sufficient airrenew al to preserve the health and w ell-being
of the anim als in the event of failure of the
system ; and
(b) an alarm system (w hich w ill op erate even if
the principal electricity supply to it has failed)
shall be provided to give w arning of any failure
of the system .
21.The back-up system shall be thoroughly
inspected an d the alarm system shall each be
tested at least once every seven days in order to
check that there is no defect in the system and,
if any defect is found (w hether w hen the system
is inspected or tested in accordance w ith thisparagraph or at any other tim e) it shall be rectified
im m ediately.
61 A ll m ains electrical equipm ent should m eet
relevant standards and be properly earthed,
safegu arded from rodents and out of the pigsreach.
62 A ll equipm ent, includ ing feed hop pers, drinkers,
ventilation equipm ent, heating and lighting units, fire
exting uishers and alarm system s, should be cleaned
and inspected regularly and kept in g ood w orking
order.
63 A ll autom atic equ ipm ent used in intensive
system s should be thoroughly inspected by the stock-keeper, or other com petent person , no t less than
once each day to check that there are no defects.
A ny defect m ust be rectified im m ediately.
Fire and Other EmergencyPrecautions
64 There shou ld be plans in place to deal w ith
em ergencies at your farm , such as fire, flood or
disruption of supplies. The ow ner should m ake sure
that all the staff are fam iliar w ith the appropriate
em ergency action . You w ill find m ore inform ation in
the D efra booklets,Em ergencies on livestock farm sand Farm fires: advice on farm anim al w elfare(seethe A ppend ix).
65 It is im portant that you get advice about design
w hen you are building or m odifying a building. You
need to be able to release and evacuate livestock
qu ickly if there is an em ergency. You shou ld co nsider
installing fire alarm s that can b e heard and
respon ded to at any tim e of day or night.
66 You can get expert advice on all fire precautions
from fire prevention officers at your local fire brigade
and from the Fire Prevention A ssociation.
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The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
Regulation s 2000 (S.I. 20 00 N o. 1870), Schedule 1,paragraph 2 7 states that:
N o other substance, w ith the exception of tho se
given for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes or
for the purpose of zoo technical treatm ent shall be
adm inistered to anim als unless it has been
dem onstrated b y scientific studies of anim al w elfare
or established experience that the effect of that
substance is no t detrim ental to the health or
w elfare of the anim als.
21
Section 1 Recommen da tions for all pigs
20
Section 1 Recomme nda tions for all pigs
71 There are several factors you should take into
consideration w hen loo king at the provision ofw ater to pigs:
the total volum e available;
the flow rate (pigs w ill not spen d a lon g tim etaking w ater);
the m ethod of provision e.g. the type of drinker;
and
its accessibility to all stock.
72 The follow ing is a guide to m inim um daily
w ater requirem ents for various w eights of pig:
Weig ht of Da ily Minimum f lowpig (kg ) req uirement ra te thro ug h
(litres) nipple drinkers
(litre s/min)
New ly wea ned 1.0 1.5 0.3
Up to 20 kg s 1.5 2.0 0.5 1.0
20 kgs 40 kg s 2.0 5.0 1.0 1.5
Finishing pig s 5.0 6.0 1.0 1.5
up to 100 kgs
Sows and gilts 5.0 8.0 2.0
pre-service and
in-pig
Sow s a nd g ilt s - 15 30 2.0
in lactation
Boa rs 5.0 8.0 2.0
73 W aste w ater and excessive flow rates can be
detrim ental, particularly for sow s in farrow ingaccom m odation and very young pigs.
74 You should carefully consider the height at which
w ater nipples and bow ls are placed. A ll pigs m ust be
able to access the drinking point. This m igh t require
height-adjustable, or several different, drinkers at
various heights w hen group s of pigs of a range o f
w eights are housed together or w hen pigs are
housed in a pen for a long period.
75 W here n ipple d rinkers are u sed, a drinking
po int should be available for each ten pigs on
ration ed feed ing . O n unrestricted feeding , on e
nipp le drinker should provide adequate sup ply for
15 pigs given sufficient flow rates. W here troug hsystem s are used, the follow ing gu idelines sho uld
be applied:
WEIGHTOF PIG TROUG H SPACE
(KG) PER HEAD (CM)
Up to 15 0.8
15 - 35 1.0
76 If you use a w et feeding system , pigs m ust haveaccess to a separate fresh w ater supply.
77 Feed and w ater should not be com pletely
w ithdraw n from sow s w hich are being dried off.
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Ta il Do cking
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
(A m endm ent) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),
Schedule 6, Part II, paragraphs 21 and 23 (1) state
that:
21.The follow ing proced ure shall no t be carried
ou t rou tinely but only w here there is evidence
that injuries to sow steats or to other pigsears or tails have occurred:
- docking of a part of the tail;
bu t no tail do cking m ay be carried ou t un less
other m easures to im prove environm ental
conditions o r m anagem ent system s have
been taken in o rder to p revent tail biting or
other vices.
23.(1) If docking of tails is carried out after the
seven th day of life it shall only be perform ed
un der anaesthetic and addition al prolon ged
analgesia by a veterinary surgeo n.
83 Tail biting and other vices, such as ear and flank
biting , are associated w ith som e form of stress. They
can be triggered b y a w ide range or com bination of
factors, including : overstocking, feed deficiencies,
incorrect tem perature levels, fluctuating tem perature
levels, inadequate ventilation, draughts, high levels of
dust and noxious gases (i.e. am m onia) and lack of
environm ental enrichm ent. Som etim es chan ges in
external w eather conditions can also trigger anoutbreak.
84 If tail biting d oes occur, it can spread quickly
through the pen and the degree o f injury increases
very quickly. You should ensure that affected pigs are
rem oved to a hospital pen and treated w ithout delay.
If po ssible, you should try to identify the instigator
and rem ove the anim al to a separate pen .
85 Routine tail docking is not perm itted. Tail
do cking should on ly be used as a last resort, afterim provem ents to the pigsenvironm ent andm anagem ent have proved ineffectual. W here it is
necessary to tail do ck, it m ust be carried out in
accordance w ith the law by a com petent, trained
op erator before the seventh day of life, or by a
veterinary surgeo n. All equ ipm ent used m ust be
cleaned and disinfected betw een pigs.
86 A s part of your herd health and w elfare plan (see
paragraphs 8 and 22), you should have a strategy for
dealing w ith outbreaks of vice such as tail biting.
A lthough m uch h as been learnt from research and
practical on-farm experience, it is not possible to
produce a definitive solution suitable for all cases. A
thorough assessm ent and planned approach istherefore recom m ended to identify the particular
cause of an outbreak on the unit and to find the
appropriate solution to the p roblem .
Q uan tify the problem
- note the position of pens and num bers of pigs
affected, check records of previous incidents.
List possible causes
- such as interrup tion or inadequ ate supply of feed
or w ater, lack of environm ental enrichm ent,
inadequ ate ventilation , draughts, incorrect
tem perature levels, overstocking , com petition at
feed ing, excessive light levels, elevated
du st/noxiou s gas levels. D ifferent causes m ay befound in different pens on the sam e unit.
M odify health and w elfare plan
- having identified areas for im provem ent, in
con sultation w ith the herds veterinary surgeonand other technical advisers, m odify your health
and w elfare plan to im plem ent the necessary
chan ges w ith a view to preventing future
outbreaks of tail biting.
23
Section 1 Recommen da tions for all pigs
Genera l
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
Reg ulations 2000 (S.I. 2000 N o. 1870), Schedule 1,
paragraph 17 states that:
A nim als not kept in b uilding s shall, w here necessary
and possible, be given protection from adverse
w eather condition s, predators and risks to their
health an d shall, at all tim es, have access to a w ell-
drained lying area.
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
(A m endm ent) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),
Schedule 6, Part II, paragraph 10 states that:
10.(1) Housing, pen s, equ ipm ent and utensils
used for pigs m ust be p roperly cleaned anddisinfected as necessary to preven t cross-
infection and the bu ild-up of disease-carrying
organism s.
(2) Faeces, urine and uneaten or spilt food m ust
be rem oved as often as necessary to m inim ise
sm ell and avoid attracting flies or rodents.
78 You should keep all buildings, fields and
paddocks clear of debris, such as w ire, plastic and
sharp objects, that could injure the pigs or rip ou t
their ear tags and dam age their ears.
79 You shou ld take all practical m easures to
rem ove all pigs from areas that are in im m inent
dang er of floo ding .
Environmental Enrichment
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
(Am end m ent) Reg ulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),
Schedule 6, Part II, paragraph 16 states that:
To enable proper investigation and m anipu lation
activities, all pigs m ust have perm anent access to a
sufficient quantity of m aterial such as straw , hay,
w ood, saw dust, m ushroom com post, peat or a
m ixture of such w hich does not adversely affect thehealth of the anim als.
80 Environm ental enrichm ent provides pigs w ith the
op portun ity to root, investigate, chew and play.
Straw is an excellent m aterial for environ m ental
enrichm ent as it can satisfy m any of the pigsbehavioural and physical needs. It provides a fibrous
m aterial w hich the pig can eat; the pig is able to root
in and play w ith long straw ; and , w hen used as
bedd ing , straw can p rovide the p ig w ith physical and
therm al com fort.
81 O bjects such as footballs and chains can satisfy
som e of the p igsbehaviou ral needs, bu t can quickly
lose their novelty factor. The long-term use o f suchitem s is not, therefore, recom m ended unless they are
used in conjun ction w ith m aterials such as tho se
listed above, or are changed on a w eekly basis.
Castration
The W elfare of Farm ed Anim als (England)
(A m end m ent) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),
Schedule 6, Part II, paragraphs 22 and 23 (2) state
that:
22.M ale pigs m ay be castrated provided the m eans
em ployed do not invo lve tearing of tissues.
23.(2) If castration is carried out after the seventhday of life it shall only be perform ed by a
veterinary surgeon in accordance w ith the
provisions of the Protection of A nim als
(A naesthetics) A ct 19 54 .
82 Stock-keep ers should consider carefully w hether
castration is necessary. Castration is a m utilation and
should b e avoided w herever possible. If it cannot be
avoided, it m ust be carried ou t in accordance w ith
the law by a trained and com petent operator or a
veterinary surgeon.
22
Section 1 Recomme nda tions for all pigs
M anagem ent
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91 Sow s sho uld b e left un disturbed , to allow
uterine contractions, for up to thirty m inutes afterartificial insem ination (and natural service), but they
should then rejoin their group in order to m inim ise
bullying w ithin the grou p hierarchy. W hen dou ble
insem ination is used, sow s m ay be penned separately
un til 30 m inu tes after the second insem ination, but
pens m ust allow the anim al to turn round easily.
The V eterinary Surgeon s Act 1966, as am ended by
the Veterinary Surgeons A ct 1966 (Sched ule 3
A m endm ent) O rder 1988 (S.I. 1988 N o. 526)
prohibits the perform ance of a vasectom y or the
carrying out of electro-ejaculation by anyone o ther
than a veterinary surgeon.
92 Sem en collection and artificial insem inationshould only be carried out by a trained , com petent
and experienced operator. Vasectom y or electro-
ejaculation m ay only be carried ou t by a veterinary
surgeon.
25
Section 1 Recommen da tions for all pigs
Tee t h Clipping /Grin din g
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
(Am end m ent) Reg ulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),
Schedule 6, Part II, paragraph 21 states that:
The follow ing proced ure shall not be carried ou t
rou tinely bu t only w here there is evidence that
injuries to sow steats or to other pigsears or tailshave occurred:
- uniform reduction of corner teeth of piglets by
grinding or clipping not later than the seventh day of
life of the piglets leaving an intact sm ooth surface;
but no tooth reduction m ay be carried out unless
other m easures to im prove environm ental conditions
or m anagem ent system s have been taken in order
to prevent tail biting or other vices.
87 Routine clipping or grinding of teeth is not
perm itted. Tooth reduction to the upper and low er
corner teeth (eyeor canine teeth) of piglets shouldon ly be used as a last resort. Your health and w elfare
plan should identify circum stances w here tooth
redu ction m ay be necessary. These m ight include
large litter size, cross fostering, gilts and poor m ilk let
do w n such as m astitis.
88 W here tooth reduction is to be carried out, it
m ay not alw ays be n ecessary for the w hole litter.
W here it is necessary, it should be carried out before
the seventh d ay of life, in accordance w ith the law ,
by a trained and com petent operator or by a
veterinary surgeon. Suitable sharp, clean clippers or
an appropriate grinder should be used. All
equ ipm ent used should be cleaned and disinfected
betw een pigs. Teeth grinders are recom m ended as
there is a reduced risk of shattering the teeth.
Natu ral Service
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
Reg ulations 2000 (S.I. 2000 N o. 1870), Schedule 1,
paragraph 28, states that:
28 .(1) Subject to sub -paragraph (2), natural or
artificial breeding or breeding proced ures w hichcause, or are likely to cause, suffering o r injury
to any of the anim als concerned shall not be
practised.
(2) Sub -paragraph (1) shall no t preclude the use
of natural or artificial breeding p rocedures that
are likely to cau se m inim al or m om entary
suffering or injury or that m igh t necessitate
intervention s which w ould not cause lasting injury.
89 A ll boars should have goo d and safe service
conditions. Slatted floors and slippery condition s
un derfoot are not suitable for m ating anim als. A s
part of your health and w elfare plan, you should
discuss w ith the herds veterinary surgeon how toavoid injury to boars and sow s through excessive
m ating activity.
Artificia l Insemina tion , Va secto my
and Electro-ejaculation
The W elfare of Farm ed Anim als (England)
(A m end m ent) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),
Schedule 6, Part II, paragraph 7 (3) lists certain
exem ptions from the requirem ent that a pig shall be
free to turn round w ithout difficulty at all tim es,
includ ing:
- for the pu rpose o f service, artificial insem ination or
collection of sem en;
provided that the period during w hich it is so kept is
no t lon ger than necessary for that purpose.
90 You sho uld keep the sow s in their groups un til
insem ination, at w hich tim e they can be m oved to an
appropriate stall or pen and insem inated. Sow s
should be allow ed tim e to settle dow n in the stall or
pen , and then exposed to a boar in order to
encourage the standing reflex before artificial
insem ination takes place.
24
Section 1 Recomme nda tions for all pigs
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Section 2 Specif ic recomme nda tions
Farrow ing sow s and piglets98 Problem s associated w ith w eaning are related
to the age at w eaning. The earlier the w eaning agethe better m ust be the system of m anagem ent and
nutrition if w elfare prob lem s are to be avo ided.
Piglets should n ot be w eaned from the sow at less
than 28 days, althoug h orph aned, sick and surplus
piglets requiring special attention are obvious
exception s. The all-in-all-out system of m anaging
pig hou sing m axim ises opportun ities to prevent
disease introd uction or spread on a unit. W here
these conditions are m et, w eaning m ay occur up to
seven days earlier. A t w ean ing, piglets shou ld b e
m oved into a specialised ho use w hich has
previou sly been com pletely em ptied of pigs, cleaned
and disinfected.
99 It is particularly im portant that you w atchpiglets carefully for signs of diarrhoea or respiratory
disease, such as cough ing or rapid or laboured
breathing , bo th of w hich can spread rapidly. If the
piglets do no t respond to treatm ent prom ptly or
properly, you shou ld seek advice from your
veterinary surgeon .
27
Section 2 Specif ic recomme nda tions
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
(Am end m ent) Reg ulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),Schedule 6, Part IV, paragraphs 30 to 35 state:
30 .Pregnant gilts and sow s shall, w here
necessary, be treated against external and
internal parasites.
31.If they are placed in farrow ing crates, pregnant
sow s and gilts shall be tho rou ghly cleaned.
32.In the w eek b efore the expected farrow ing tim e
sow s and gilts m ust be g iven suitable nesting
m aterial in sufficient quantity unless it is not
technically feasible for the slurry system used.
33 .D uring farrow ing , an unobstructed area behind
the sow or gilt shall be available for the ease of
natural or assisted farrow ing .
34.Farrow ing pens w here sow s are kept loose m ust
have som e m eans of protecting the piglets, such
as farrow ing rails.
35.In the w eek before the expected farrow ing tim e
and during farrow ing, sow s and gilts m ay be
kep t ou t of the sight of other pigs.
93 You should m anage the feeding of sow s and
gilts so that they are in a suitable bod y cond ition at
the tim e of farrow ing . A target score of 3.5 - 4
should be aim ed at just prior to farrow ing. You
should then gear the feeding regim e to m inim ising
any loss in bo dy condition during lactation.
94 N esting m aterial shou ld be provided, w henever
possible, particularly in the 24 hours prior to
farrow ing to satisfy the sow s need to nest-buildand therefore m inim ise stress.
95 The environm ental requ irem ents of the sow and
litter are considerably different. In an environm entally
controlled farrow ing house a heated creep area - up
to 32C should be provided for the piglets. Thiscan be by artificial heating, for exam ple, overhead
infra-red lam ps, a heat pad, un derfloo r heating or
alternatively by providing a w ell-bed ded lying area.
The sow , how ever, has different environm ental
requirem ents. The tem perature in the farrow ing
room as a w hole should be around 18C - 20C .H igh tem peratures for the sow can im pair feed
intake and her m ilking ability.
96 W here overhead lam ps/heaters are used they
should be securely fixed and should be protected
from interference b y the sow or piglets.
97 Farrow ing accom m odation should be so
constructed and sufficiently big enoug h to allow the
sow to rise up and lie dow n again w ithout difficulty.
You should b e experienced and com petent in the
techniques of farrow ing and should pay particular
attention to hygiene, especially at assisted
farrow ings. M echanical farrow ing aids should only be
used by a trained , com petent operator.
The W elfare of Farm ed Anim als (England)
(A m end m ent) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),
Schedule 6, Part V, paragraphs 43 to 47 state:
43.If necessary, piglets shall be provided w ith a
source of heat and a solid, dry and com fortable
lying area aw ay from the sow w here all of them
can rest at the sam e tim e.
44.A part of the total floor w here the piglets are and
w hich is large enough to allow the anim als to rest
together at the sam e tim e, m ust be solid or
covered w ith a m at or be littered w ith straw or
any other suitable m aterial.
45.W here a farrow ing crate is used the piglets m usthave sufficient space to b e able to be suckled
w ithout difficulty.
46.Piglets shall not be w eaned from the sow at an
age of less than 28 d ays unless the w elfare or
health o f the dam or piglets w ould otherwise be
adversely affected.
47.Piglets m ay be w eaned up to seven days earlier
if they are m oved into specialised housings w hich
are em ptied an d thoroughly cleaned and
disinfected before the introduction of a new
group and w hich are separate from housing
w here other sow s are kept.
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The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
(Am end m ent) Reg ulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),Schedule 6, Part IV, paragraphs 36 to 42 state:
36 .Sow s and gilts shall be kept in groups except
during the period betw een seven days before
the p redicted d ay of farrow ing and the day on
w hich the w eaning of piglets (includ ing any
piglets fostered) is com plete.
37.The pen w here the group is kept m ust have
sides greater than 2.8 m in leng th, except w here
there are less than 6 individuals in the group,
w hen the sides of the p en m ust be n o less than
2.4 m in leng th.
38.The total unob structed floor area available to each
gilt after service and to each sow w hen gilts
and/or sow s are kept in groups m ust be at least1.64 m 2 and 2.25 m 2 respectively. W hen these
anim als are kept in groups of less than 6 individuals
the unobstructed floor area m ust be increased by
10% . W hen these anim als are kept in groups of
40 or m ore individuals the unobstructed floor area
m ay be decreased by 10% .
39 .For gilts after service an d pregnant sow s a part
of the area required in paragraph 38 equal to at
least 0.95 m 2 per gilt and 1.3 m 2 per sow m ust
be of continuous solid floor of w hich a m axim um
of 15% is reserved for drainage open ings.
40.Sow s and gilts kept on h oldings of few er than
10 sow s m ay be kept individually provided that
their accom m odation com plies w ith therequirem ents of paragraphs 6 and 7 of Part II of
this Schedule [see the box above paragraph 47].
41.In addition to the requ irem ents of paragraph 14
of Part II of this Sch edule [see the box above
paragraph 67], sow s and gilts m ust be fed using
a system w hich ensures that each individual can
obtain sufficient food even w hen com petitors
for the food are present.
42.A ll dry pregn ant sow s and gilts m ust be given a
sufficient quantity of bulky or high fibre food as
w ell as high energy food to satisfy their hung er
and need to chew .
102 Inn ate aggressiveness can present a severe
problem w here sow s and gilts are kept in g roups.M uch depend s on the tem peram ent of individual
anim als. A dequate space is particularly im po rtant at
the tim e of m ixing sow s so that anim als can escape
from aggressors. First parity sow s and sow s that
have lost body condition should be m anag ed as
separate groups. Stock-keepers should ensure that
persistent bullying , w hich could lead to severe injury
or deprivation of foo d, does no t take place. You
shou ld rem ove any anim al suffering persistent
bu llying to d ifferent accom m od ation.
103 Feed ing facilities in w hich an im als can be fed
individually and thereafter released are
recom m end ed. H ow ever, if you feed sow s using a
system that does not include som e form ofprotection during feeding , such as floo r feeding,
then yo u m ust distribu te the feed w idely and in
such a w ay to en sure that all m em bers of the g roup
can obtain their allocation.
104 Breeding sow s and gilts should be fed
sim ultaneously w herever possible to avoid u nd ue
excitem ent. Som e feeding system s have been
designed to feed anim als sequentially w ithout
interference from pen-m ates. You need to pay
special attention to the proper fun ction ing of such
equipm ent and also m ake sure that all m em bers of
the group can ob tain their allocation .
105 The provision of bed ding in loose housingsystem s for sow s and gilts is strong ly
recom m ended.
29
D ry sow s and gilts
Section 2 Specif ic recomme nda tions
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
(A m end m ent) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),Schedule 6 , Part VI, paragraph 52 states:
The unob structed floo r area available to each
w eaner or rearing pig reared in a group shall be at
least -
(a) 0.15 m 2 for each pig w here the average
w eight of the pigs in the group is 10 kg or less;
(b) 0.20 m 2 for each pig w here the average
w eight of the p igs in the group is m ore than
10 kg but less than or equal to 2 0 kg;
(c) 0.30 m 2 for each pig w here the average
w eight of the p igs in the group is m ore than
20 kg but less than or equal to 3 0 kg;
(d) 0.40 m 2 for each pig w here the averagew eight of the p igs in the group is m ore than
30 kg but less than or equal to 5 0 kg;
(e) 0.55 m 2 for each pig w here the average
w eight of the p igs in the group is m ore than
50 kg but less than or equal to 8 5 kg;
(f) 0.65 m 2 for each pig w here the average
w eight of the p igs in the group is m ore than
85 kg b ut less than or equal to 1 10 kg;
(g) 1.00 m 2 for each pig w here the average
w eight of the p igs in the group is m ore than
110 kg.
100 The figures in the b ox above are m inim um
requirem ents, the type of hou sing and itsm anagem ent m ay m ean that greater space
allow ances are necessary. The total floo r space
should b e adequate for sleeping , feeding and
exercising. The lying area, excluding the dun ging
and exercise areas, sho uld be of sufficient size to
allow all the pigs to lie dow n on their sides at the
sam e tim e.
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
(Am end m ent) Reg ulations 2003 (S.I. 2003 N o. 299),
Schedule 6, Part VI, paragraphs 48 to 51 state:
48 .Pigs shall be placed in groups as soon as
possible after w ean ing . They shall be kept instable grou ps w ith as little m ixing as possible.
49 .If pigs unfam iliar w ith on e an other have to be
m ixed, this should be do ne at as young an ag e
as possible, preferably before or up to one w eek
after w eaning . W hen pigs are m ixed they shall
be p rovided w ith ad equate op portunities to
escape and h ide from other pigs.
50 .The use of tranquillising m edication in o rder to
facilitate m ixing shall be lim ited to exceptional
cond ition s and on ly after consultation w ith a
veterinary surgeon .
51 .W hen sign s of severe figh ting appear, the causes
shall be im m ediately investigated and
appropriate m easures shall be taken .
101 Your herd health an d w elfare plan shou ld
include a strategy for m anaging m ixing and
establishing grou ps of pigs. Plenty of space,
sufficient environm ental enrichm ent and using
show er sprays/sprinklers can all help to m inim ise
aggression at m ixing. W herever possible, pigs for
fattening shou ld b e in sam e sex group s to avoid
un necessary sexual activity as gilts com e into
oestrus.
28
Section 2 Specif ic recomme nda tions
W eaners and rearing pigs
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Genera l
The W elfare of Farm ed A nim als (England)
Regulation s 2000 (S.I. 20 00 N o. 1870), Schedule 1,
paragraph 1 7 states that:
A nim als not kept in buildings shall, w here necessary
and possible, be given protection from adverse
w eather condition s, predators and risks to their
health and shall, at all tim es, have access to a w ell-
drained lying area.
109 Sites for ou tdoor pig enterprises m ust be
chosen carefully. Land p ron e to floo ding , po orly
drained sites, stony (especially flinty) soils an d sites
w ith heavy soils (especially in areas w ith high
rainfall), are generally unsuitable for outdoor
system s. Free-draining soils, in low rainfall areas,
w ith low frost incidence are m ost suitable.
110 Field stocking d ensities m ust reflect the
suitability of the site and the system of
m anag em ent. A guideline of 25 sow s per hectare
overall is reasonable for suitable sites. You m ay
need to redu ce stocking densities on less ideal sites
or in extrem e circum stances during periods of
adverse w eather. M ore inform ation can b e found in
D efras boo klet,Site suitability for outdoor pigfarm ing(see the A pp endix).
111 Stock selected for outdoor production m ust be
suitable for outdoor conditions. M ost breedingcom panies provide lines that have been develop ed
for ou tdoor use.
112 Your herd health an d w elfare plan should
includ e a strategy for dealing w ith em ergency
situations such as, w ater provision in freezing
cond ition s and feed p rovision to the site and to the
pad docks in snow or severe w et w eather.
Biosecurity
113 If you take proper precautions w hen you m ove
w ithin the farm or you m ove anim als and
equipm ent, you can greatly reduce the chance of
spreading disease (see paragraphs 23 - 28).
Incom ing replacem ent stock w ill also need to be
acclim atised to outdoor conditions. It is especially
im portant to p rovide w arm com fortable
accom m odation for these anim als.
114 To prevent the build-up and transfer of disease
organ ism s, you should re-site arcs betw een batches
of pigs and the straw bedding etc. shou ld be
rem oved. M ore inform ation on biosecurity can be
fou nd in the D efra p ublication Better biosecurity
provides peace of m ind, healthy stock and a m oreviable bu siness(see the A pp