Swine news - Management

Compliance with animal protection regulations during transport must be ensured by all personnel handling live animals.

Wageningen University & Research has launched the 2-year project "Pig Enrichment" to promote the effective use of these materials on more and more pig farms.

The new regulations are primarily aimed at improving the welfare of breeding sows.

Reducing tail docking in pigs is on the agenda for Ireland's first over-arching Animal Welfare Strategy.

As compensation for the costs incurred by castration with anesthesia, the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture and the Livestock and Meat Producers' Association recommend a surcharge of at least four euros per castrated male piglet.

Twelve Dutch companies to develop growth model for the pig farming sector in China starting with construction of a Research Test & Training Centre.

The Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Julia Klöckner, is promoting the welfare-friendly conversion of livestock husbandry in Germany.

The High Court declared regulations and minimum standards regarding farrowing crates and mating stalls unlawful and invalid.

After January 1, 2021, piglet castration will only be permitted under anesthesia in Germany. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) is funding the purchase of isoflurane anesthesia machines with a total of 20 million euros.

Germany's economic stimulus package for 2020 and 2021 will allocate a total of 300 million euros for barn remodeling that promotes greater animal welfare.

The Federal Council has approved the General Administrative Regulation for the designation of nitrate contaminated and eutrophicated areas.

The Federal Council now requires farrowing pens to have an area of 6.5 m².

New regulations for pig farming have been proposed by the Bundesrat including provisions for sow and pig housing.

The Ministry of Agriculture has launched an action plan for controlling temperatures in animal transportation during the summer of 2020, which affects transports longer than 8 hours.

MEPs decided to set up an inquiry committee to look into alleged breaches in the application of EU animal welfare rules during transport within and outside the EU.

Most of the hazards related to welfare of pigs at slaughter are due to inadequate staff skills and poorly designed and constructed facilities. That is one of the main conclusions of EFSA’s latest advice on welfare of animals during the slaughter process.

The EC launches an evaluation, also called the "Fitness Check," of EU legislation on the welfare of farm animals.

For the first time the average pigs born alive per litter surpassed 14 pigs. Live weight and growth rate increased for growing and finishing pigs.

Aimed at managers and staff on pig operations, the guide is intended to help make decisions: which animals should be euthanized and which method of euthanasia to use depending on the type of animal.

The Directorate General for Animal Rights will aim to promote policies for the protection of animals and their alignment with European legislation.

An audit from the European Commission reveals that few tangible actions have been taken to improve compliance with the provisions of the Pig Directive, and to reduce tail biting and avoid tail docking of pigs.