Animal category: Pigs

bonds, environmental influences on social behavior and welfare, mechanisms and development of social behaviors, ways to promote positive social interactions and minimize disruptions to basic social bonds

Fact sheet outlining regulations and proposing animal-based indicators to confirm the death of suckling piglets when euthanised. These indicators include the absence of muscle tone, respiration (apnea), heartbeat, response to corneal and palpebral stimuli and pupil dilation.

Review of the scientific literature for veterinary inspectors of Member States on the regulation and scientific knowledge on behavioral and physiological signs of hunger in pregnant sows under a restricted feed regime, and on ways to reduce associated welfare problems (aggression and stereotypies). They aim to reduce hunger sensations and to adapt farming methods.

Summary of a webinar hosted by the USDA on how to mitigate the impacts of heat stress on the health and welfare of pigs in factory farming. It presents research findings to improve heat stress resilience in pigs through a three-part approach, that looks at management, nutrition and genetics.

Thematic dossier providing information on French  regulations, the number of abattoirs in France, the role of veterinary services in abattoirs, and the controls carried out for animal protection purposes.

Report by Res Publica outlining proposals to enable animal welfare to be taken into account in international trade, to UK animal food products, which are subject to high animal welfare standards that result in additional costs, from being penalised internationally.

Scientific review on the use of precision farming techniques to improve the health, welfare and production of farm animals. It emphasizes the importance of affordable, reliable and easy-to-use equipment, providing data that reflect - adequately and in real time - different aspects of animal welfare status within the herd.

Scientific review of the use of the five domains model to improve housing and management from the piglets' perspective, seeking to induce positive mental states that can result in improved quality of life and wefare. 

Dossier describing the German voluntary welfare initiative in pig farming, "Initiative Tierwohl", containing interviews with farmers who have signed up to it, along with half their fellow farmers. Although the initiative is appreciated by consumers, the public is still concerned over meat prices, a fact that restricts farmers' room for manoeuver in working to to improve animal welfare.

Article comparing welfare criteria for sows housed in free-range farrowing crates and conventional farrowing crates. It shows that the greater freedom of movement provided by free-range farrowing crates throughout lactation can improve locomotor health and reduce stress levels in sows.