My pigs are ok, why change? – animal welfare accounts of pig farmers

Universal frameworks for zoo animal welfare have been suggested. However, there is little evidence of a cross-cultural understanding of zoo animal welfare. This paper reports themes emerging from a qualitative study of international (European and Chinese) zoo professionals on zoo animal welfare issues. Structured telephone interviews were conducted with eight Chinese and eight European zoo staff, covering aspects of zoological animal welfare, conservation and zoological husbandry practices. These qualitative data were thematically analysed, and key themes generated. This paper describes three themes relating to ‘What is animal welfare’ ‘Animal welfare frameworks’ and ‘The human element in animal welfare’. This analysis indicates that the concept of animal welfare has cultural equivalence across Europe and between Europe and China, and that zoo staff are familiar with welfare frameworks. In China, a need for senior leadership and motivating staff to improve animal welfare emerged.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Animal Welfare an Internationally Understood Concept in the Zoo World? Thematic Analysis of Two Regional Groups of Zoo Staff

Bacon

Vigors

Shaw

et al. 2021

“…Early cross-fostering may be also harmful to piglets because colostrum production and the concentration of colostral immunoglobulins reach their peak within 14 h postpartum; thus, piglets that are fostered before this time will not have received sufficient colostrum, which makes them more susceptible to environmental pathogens [ 86 ]. However, in practice, cross-fostering is conducted after 7 days postpartum, or even later, and sometimes multiple times (e.g., [ 76 , 87 ]). The potential for transmission of pathogens in late cross-fostering is highly relevant to this discussion.…”

Section: Sources Of Stress In Pig Farm Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such a strategy, widely practised in intensive farms, eliminates or shortens important stages of the physiological and emotional development of piglets [ 89 ]. Early weaned piglets are subjected to the simultaneous social and psychological stress caused by losing milk, being socially separated from the mother and the siblings, and moved to a new environment, where they are usually mixed with unfamiliar animals and often transported between farms [ 87 , 89 ]. Biting, nosing, and abnormal behaviours are common among weanling piglets and constitute redirected sucking behaviours associated with early weaning, barren environments and hunger, and possibly have a genetic component; these behaviours can result in skin lesions on the recipient’s belly and flank, causing skin injuries, pain, and difficulty resting [ 95 ].…”

Section: Sources Of Stress In Pig Farm Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Linking Animal Welfare and Antibiotic Use in Pig Farming—A Review

Albernaz-Gonçalves

Antillón

Hötzel

2022

Preventative measures, such as biosecurity and vaccinations, are essential but not sufficient to ensure high standards of health in pig production systems. Restrictive, barren housing and many widely used management practices that cause pain and stress predispose high-performance pigs reared in intensive systems to disease. In this context, antibiotics are used as part of the infrastructure that sustains health and high levels of production in pig farms. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global emergency affecting human and animal health, and the use of antibiotics (AMU) in intensive livestock farming is considered an important risk factor for the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria from animals to humans. Tackling the issue of AMR demands profound changes in AMU, e.g., reducing their use for prophylaxis and ending it for growth promotion. In support of such recommendations, we revise the link between animal welfare and AMU and argue that it is crucial to sustainably reduce AMU while ensuring that pigs can live happy lives. In support of such recommendations, we aimed to revise the link between animal welfare and AMU in pigs by analysing stress factors related to housing and management and their impact on pig welfare. In particular, we reviewed critical management practices that increase stress and, therefore, pigs’ susceptibility to disease and reduce the quality of life of pigs. We also reviewed some alternatives that can be adopted in pig farms to improve animal welfare and that go beyond the reduction in stress. By minimising environmental and management stressors, pigs can become more immunocompetent and prepared to overcome pathogenic challenges. This outcome can contribute to reducing AMU and the risk of AMR while simultaneously improving the quality of life of pigs and, ultimately, maintaining the pig industry’s social license.

“…Pigs housed in barren environments often exhibit signs of boredom and frustration [ 18 ]. Environmental enrichments clearly improve the welfare of pigs by allowing them to express natural, species-specific behaviors and thus play a crucial role in the development of a welfare-friendly farm environment.…”

Section: Behavioral Needs Of Farmed Pigsmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Housing Conditions Determine the Welfare of Pigs

Ludwiczak

Skrzypczak

Składanowska-Baryza

et al. 2021

Humans who care for pigs prefer an environment that not only allows the pigs to express their natural behaviors but also limits the development of aggression and stereotypes. Most of the behavioral and health problems encountered by pigs in barren, conventional conditions are solved by alternative housing systems. However, it is not known whether these systems are advantageous in terms of the performance of pigs. In this work, we review the effects of housing systems on pigs’ behaviors and performance, which are among the major indicators of the welfare of these animals. Research results point out that outdoor systems are more ideal for sows and fatteners than buildings. Nonetheless, outdoor housing is associated with two major effects in both groups: increased activity due to environmental exploration and higher space allowance, and increased incidence of injuries compared to indoor systems. Sows are more active when housed in groups, but they experience an increased frequency of injuries. According to the literature, group-housed sows give birth to healthy piglets with good daily weight gains. The difference in the fattening and slaughter performance of pigs raised indoors vs. outdoors remains unclear, and the results reported so far are inconsistent. Outdoor systems seem to be associated with a higher incidence of osteochondrosis and lesions of elbow and hock joints, whereas indoor systems cause a greater degree of body soiling in pigs. Based on the reviewed literature, it may be concluded that outdoor housing helps to solve behavioral issues in pigs but leads to other problems in pig production.