Animal category: Pigs

Answer to a question on mobile abattoirs, whether they should be authorised by the EU and, if so, whether the EU should provide financial support and launch a pilot project.
Document type: Reply from the European Commission

Article setting out the benefits and limitations of smart farming for the improvement of the living conditions of farm animals. While it makes the farmer's work easier, it is less clear that it has a positive impact on animal welfare.

Scientific paper comparing animal stress responses and meat quality in a small local abattoir and in an industrial abattoir. Values for several stress indicators were lower in the animals treated in the local abattoir, and the appearance and organoleptic qualities of the local abattoir meat were superior.

Scientific paper comparing the relative effects on heart rate, mean arterial pressure, pain movements and physiological stress markers of two injection techniques, involving 1 or 2 stages, for lidocaine or mepivacaine during the castration of piglets.

Scientific paper identifying social nosing as the major social interaction and identifying three early social styles in suckling piglets: low-solicited iother small companion animalstive animals, mostly females, active animals, mostly males, and highly-solicited avoiders.

Summary of approaches that veterinary inspectors can use to improve communication during livestock welfare inspections, including paired inspections, participatory group training, training on maintaining motivation, and in delivering bad news. 

Scientific paper showing that piglets have increased emotional responses when listening to music and different affective states depending on the harmonic structure of the music. Music could therefore be used as a form of environmental enrichment.

Announcement of a book on the slaughter preparation and slaughter of animals for human consumption. After a general chapter on welfare assessment using animal-based indicators, individual chapters are devoted to different species: cattle, fish, horses, pigs, poultry, sheep and non-traditional slaughter species. The book ends with a chapter on mobile slaughter.

Text of the resolution adopted by the European Parliament to support animal welfare on farms. It will serve as the basis for the development of new EU rules in this area.

Written answer to a question on the exits of live animals from the EU occurring in Kakavia, Greece, without any animal welfare controls, in contravention of the EU regulations on EU exit points.