ALTERNATIVES TO MUTILATIONS

Farming systems should be designed to fulfil the welfare needs of the animals rather than altering the animal - through physical or genetic mutilations - to fit a poor system. Mutilations can and should be avoided through better breeding, enriched environments, good management, and appropriate nutrition.

ALTERNATIVES TO TOOTH CLIPPING

Sows should be bred to produce smaller litters which they can feed properly to reduce injuries caused by fighting for teats. This can also reduce the number of piglets that will starve, provided the sow is properly fed.

Free farrowing systems may also help, as research in Denmark found that sows in these systems ate more food than those kept in crates and were probably producing more milk for their young. Piglets in free-farrowing systems grew better and were heavier at weaning than those in crates.

There are fewer injuries to the sow’s teats, and to other piglets, in systems with plenty of space and enrichment such as straw. European Union rules insist that environment and stocking density should be dealt with before resorting to teeth clipping.

ALTERNATIVES TO CASTRATION

Rearing entire males

In some countries, such as the UK, Ireland and parts of Spain, Portugal and Greece, male piglets are not castrated but are slaughtered at a younger age (with a lower weight), lowering the risk of boar taint in the meat that can occur during puberty.

Although the pigs are slaughtered at a younger age, as they get close to slaughter weight some may develop mounting behaviour. Gilts (young female pigs) are smaller than males and they can be injured during mounting, sometimes leading to lameness. Both males and females may also suffer from cuts and abrasions leading to skin lesions. It is therefore recommended that the males and females are separated to help reduce this risk.

People’s sensitivity to boar taint varies between nationalities and sexes and some argue that even pigs slaughtered at a younger age may have boar taint. Where this is an issue, technology is being developed to detect the scent of boar taint on carcasses at the slaughterhouse.

Vaccination

In some countries, a vaccination called Improvac is used as an alternative to surgical castration, by delaying the maturity of pigs. The vaccination is perfectly safe for consumers as no residue can be found in the meat. It is not a hormone and should not be referred to as chemical castration, which is when toxic chemicals are injected into the testes directly, causing pain and irreparable damage.

As well as stopping boar taint, the vaccination also improves welfare by reducing aggression and sexual behaviour such as mounting. Care needs to be taken to minimise pain or stress to the pig while it is administered, as with any vaccination. It has been shown that Improvac reduces the use of antibiotics and decreases piglet mortality by 1.5% (Colruyt Group) in comparison to surgical castration.

Farmers that use Improvac also report better growth performance and feel their working environment is safer as pigs are calmer and more predictable.