Document type: FAQsand advice sheets published on the Brittany Chamber of Agriculture's website
Author : Chambre d'Agriculture Bretagne
Preview: Following the regulations in livestock farming is not always easy, as official texts can sometimes be interpreted in more than one way, creating differences in interpretation and leading to divergent approaches. Professional organizations from the pork industry, together with government departments, have developed a number of tools to answer the questions of farmers and on-farm advisors, in the form of FAQs on animal welfare and advice sheets.
The FAQ on pig welfare is intended to provide practical answers to questions raised by farmers, producer groups and government departments concerning the implementation of animal welfare regulations. In particular, the FAQ provides answers for questions on the implementation of the Decree of February 24, 2020 concerning the provision of manipulable materials, access to water and feed. The FAQ service is organised by the Brittany Regional Chamber of Agriculture. Two working groups including representatives from trade organizations (Inaporc, FNP, La Coopération agricole, Ugpvb, Chambres d'agriculture), Ifip, pig producer groups, the veterinary organizations Sngtv and Avpo, and national and regional government (DGAL / Bureau du bien-être animal, DDecPP bretonnes, DDecPP des Pays de la Loire and DDecPP hors grand ouest) are responsible for providing answers to the questions asked. One of these groups deals with questions relating to conventional livestock farming, the other with issues that are specific to free-range and litter farming. The FAQ is national in its scope. It has no regulatory status. Its purpose is to provide help, on an ongoing basis, in interpreting the regulations, with answers agreed between government and industry representatives to send out a clear message to those working in the sector. The most recent versions supersede all previous versions and are published on the CRA Bretagne website. The current version is Version 4, published in October 2024. This includes, for the first time, answers to questions specific to free-range and litter farming.
Advice sheets on the welfare of pigs
A series of advice sheets, drawn up in consultation with professional and technical organizations, set out the pork industry's commitments to the promotion of animal welfare. These sheets complement the FAQ on welfare. Information on watering incorporates the results of a study carried out by the Chambre d'agriculture de Bretagne, with financial support from the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
Recording cases of tail biting on pig farms
For pig farms, tail docking as a routine practice is considered to be a failure to comply with the regulations. Each farmer must be able to explain how risk factors for bites are managed on his or her farm, i.e. how to anticipate and prevent them and respond when they arise, and to keep records of bites as supporting evidence to justify the practice of docking. A "monitoring" observation sheet for bites on farms has been drawn up by professional and technical organizations. This sheet reflects the pork industry's commitment to animal welfare, and is an additional tool to support farmers provided by technical experts from professional organizations. The format of these sheets can be adapted by farmers or professional organizations, for example by integrating them into farm log sheets. Completed forms should be kept in the livestock logbook, as they may be requested as proof during official inspections.
Link to FAQ Version 4, October 2024 (pdf)