ISU Foundation for Animal Welfare• Interrelated requirements of;

– European legislation– Danish legislation– Voluntary industry initiatives (set Danish Crown)

• Food safety• Meat quality• Ethics and welfare

– Minimization of tail biting– Hernias– Shoulder bruising– Neck scaring– Bites to the vulva

– DANISH Quality Guarantee (1995)• Thorough documentation of standard practices in Denmark• Additional issues addressed in 2001 (i.e. lighting, noise levels)

– Niche market demands• Organic• Free range• Pigs for the UK

Recorded at plant

Reported back to producer

Farm specific action plan

ISU Animal Welfare Regulations

EU regulations; EU Directive 91/630/EEC

as amended by Directive 2001/88/EC

and Directive 2001/93/EC:

– No gestation stalls (from 2013)– Floor space per animal – Alarm systems for ventilation– Weaning at min. 4 weeks

ISU Animal Welfare RegulationsDanish regulations; Danish Animal Welfare Act (1991): Established

the Danish Council of Animal Ethics– No gestation tethering (since 2005) – Cooling facilities

• New facilities 2000• All by 2015

– 2000 new construction must have a minimum of one third solid flooring

– Group housing of pregnant sows (Wk 4 post service until d7 pre-farrow)

– Nesting material to sows 1 wk before farrowing unless the manure system can not accommodate this

– No tooth clipping and special requirements for tail docking– Availability of manipulable materials (chains etc., not OK)

ISU Danish legislation on sows and gilts Area:

- 1 - 4 sows/group 2.8 m2 per sow (~30 ft2)- 5 - 10 sows/group 2.2 m2 per sow (~24 ft2)- 11 - 17 sows/group 2.0 m2 per sow (~22 ft2)- 18 - 39 sows/group 2.25 m2 per sow (~24 ft2)- 40 - 2.025 m2 per sow (~22 ft2)

- 1 – 10 gilts 1.9 m2 per gilt (~20 ft2)- > 10 gilts 1.7 m2 per gilt (~18 ft2)

Lying area (solid/drained flooring and litter, straw)- Sows 1.30 m2 per sow (14 ft2)- Gilts 0.95 m2 per gilt (~10 ft2)

All sows from January 1st 2013 (new systems as of 15th of May 2003)

ISUDanish legislation on sows and gilts

• Rooting materials to provide play– All sows from

January 1st 2013

• Fibrous feed to give satiety– All sows from May

15th 2003

ISU

Monitoring and Control

• Danish Veterinary Service• 5% of herds audited annually by vets

– 50% of audited are random– 50% from a pool of frames that have

“issues”; • Antibiotic use• Poor quality pigs to the plant

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Monitoring and Control

• Veterinary care is mandated and tracked by farm– All farms are required to have an advisory contact

with a vet– Contracted vet must make 12 visits / yr (least 35 d)– All meds are prescribed– Licensed pharmacies fill all prescriptions and report

usages per vet / producer– Farmers must retain medication usage records for 3

yrs

ISU

Housing systems for sows in Denmark

ISUService facility; Stalls or loose

housing?

• Increased safety• Good overview• Competitive price

• High-quality management • Increased risk• Expensive system• UK production

Danish Pig Production

ISU

Confrontations between sows

0

5

10

15

20

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Days after weaning

No/

sow

/24

H

Danish Pig Production

ISU

Activity during heat

0

5

10

15

20

-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4

0 = standing heat

num

ber/

sow

/day

MountingFlank nosingBoar contact

Danish Pig Production

ISUActivity according to ranking

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

No/s

ow/d

ay

high rank medium rank low rank

nosing flank nosing mounting

Danish Pig Production

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Free access feeding stalls

ISUGroup housed gestating sows

0

20

40

60

80

100

2000 2005 2010Year

% of sows

Lisbeth Ulrich Hansen Danish Pig Production

ISU

• Simultaneous feeding

• Individual feed ration

• Management and control of feed ration

• Requires a large area

Free access feeding stalls

Danish Pig Production Video link 3739 / 3748

ISU One feeding stall / sow; no substrate / rectangle alley behind

ISU One feeding stall / sow; no substrate

• No natural lying area outside the stall

• Extensive dunging behavior in the entire area outside the stall

• Lying walls do not significantly affect behavior

• Impossible to keep bedding/rooting material dry

Video of “pigs’ view

ISU One feeding stall / sow; with substrate

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Back portion slatted = concrete

Front part solid = concrete

Back gate swings shut to not allow another sow in

Sows nose presses this panel

Feeders / nipple drinkers

ISU

See Saw

ISU

ISU

ISU

Concrete alleyways

ISU

ISUVideo of sows in and out

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ISUAble to manipulate the closure of back gates

manually if needed

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ISU One feeding stall / sow; T pen

ISU

One feeding stall / sow; T pen

• Separated lying and dunging areas• Well-defined lying areas• Possibilities for supplying bedding• 50 to 75% sows in lying area during resting

period• Entry zone to lying area dirty• DKK 10,000 per place unit (ESF = DKK 7,000)• OR $1,700

Danish Pig Production

ISU One feeding stall / sow; T pen – limited substrate

ISU

ISU

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Video link 3993

ISU

One feeding stall / sow; L pen

ISU Arrangement of activity area

Min. 3 m

Min. 3 m

Danish Pig Production

(3 m = 9.84 ft)

ISU Activity area

• Manure is easily pushed through

• Manure is less easily pushed through

• Slatted floor is placed “opposite the lying area”

ISU Danish recommended stall dimensions – interior measurements

Housing section Stall Width, cm Length, cmService/control facility with stalls

Standard 60 (23 in) 210 (82 in)Large 70 (27 in) 210 (82 in)

Gestation facility with loose housing

Feeding & resting stall

60 (23 in) 210 (82 in)

Danish Pig Production

Note the length is stated from the back of the trough i.e. the edge of the trough nearest to the sow

ISUHousing temperature affects

behavior

010203040506070

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Temperature, oC

Sow

s out

side

stal

l, av

. %

The higher the temperature inside,the fewer sows in the free area

Danish Pig Production

Loafing area

Stalls

ISU Sows’ use of feeding stalls

54 55

35

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

%

% sows in deep litter

Recently servedHalfway gest. Gest.

Danish Pig Production

ISU Sows’ use

39 42

62

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70%

% sows in deep litter

Morning Afternoon Evening

Danish Pig Production

ISU Sows that need treatment

ISU Legislative requirements• Always have one free hospital (relief) pen place ready for use!

• Min. 3.5 m2 (~38 ft2) unobstructed free area

• Relief pens for more animals → 2.8 m2 (~30 ft2) unobstructed free area per animal

• Max. 3 animals per relief pen!

• 2/3 soft bedding

• Cooling and heating possibilities

ISU Recommended design of hospital pens

ISU

ISU

General notes from the trip• Most producers would bred in stalls, preg.

check, and then move them into the groups• Most groups were static in nature • Tried to group them by size• Vets visit once a month• Shoulder lesions are a BIG issue• All sorts of floor types, substrate use!

ISU

Questions