Pig welfare has been receiving a tremendous amount of attention in both scientific literature and in public policy analysis. The UK Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (2013) and Crown legislation both offer detailed guidelines for humane pig husbandry. Central to pig welfare is the reduction of stress within the farm environment. Current policy and legislation covers such issues as pen size, prevention of fighting amongst pigs, castration, sanitation, and feeding. However, tail docking -- the cutting of pig tails -- remains relatively common practice even in the UK, where pig welfare rules are stricture than they are in the European Union given the latter's continued routine practice of castration ("Balancing Pig Welfare, Castration and Boar Taint," 2009). Whereas UK Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (2013) advocates against tail docking as a means to reduce pig-on-pig aggression, it does admit to the usefulness of the practice as a "last resort." Separating pigs and reducing stocking densities is mandated as a first resort, but research on pig behaviour is emerging that can help provide a secondary solution for pig farmers that will help curtail the practice of pig tail docking. Based on studies on pig tail posture, farmers can be trained to identify and respect pig emotions. Detecting the early warning signs of stress will help prevent pig aggression on farms, thereby reducing farmer reliance on cruel and unnecessary methods like tail docking. Ultimately it is proposed that an outright ban on tail docking be instated, given the clear ability of farmers to identify stress signals in pigs.
Objectives
Until relatively recently, the function of the tail in domesticated pigs has been ambiguous. Emerging literature shows that domesticated pigs exhibit predictable tail responses under certain conditions (Groffen 2012; Kleinbeck & Mcglone, n.d.; Reimert, Bolhuis, Kemp & Rodenburg, 2013a, Reimert, Bolhuis,...
Based on these and related studies on observable, measurable responses to stress, pig farmers can be trained and mandated to monitor their livestock more closely for signs of stress. Increased awareness of pig tail position among pig farmers will greatly enhance the humane treatment of pigs and promote general animal welfare objectives.
Programme of Work
The current research will contribute to the growing body of evidence that can be used to support policy change in the area of pig welfare specifically. This will be a single study, performed on a random selection of domesticated pig (sus scrofa domesticus) farms. The study will be experimental and observational in
nature, involving a control group consisting of farms that do not make any changes to their pig husbandry procedures, but whose practices are nevertheless monitored to ensure they ascribe to current UK guidelines. The experimental group will consist of a number of pig farms (ten farms will be contacted) willing to participate in the research.
To minimize the interference of breed-specific behavioral differences, the research will only be conducted on the generic sus scrofa domesticus farms rather than on farms with heritage breeds. The study will last for the duration of six months, which is about twice as long as most previous studies on pig tails, in order to provide what can be considered a longitudinal analysis of changes to pig behavior. In addition to regular observation, which will consist of camera placements in the pig pens, the researchers will also design a training intervention for the pig farmers in which the principles of tail positioning in pigs will be taught. A comprehensive training program will be grounded in the scientific literature showing, for instance, that an erect tail signals a calm mood and a tail in the down position signals stress (Kleinbeck & Mcglone, n.d.). The experimental group will…
