Spain publishes a new guide for the pig euthanasia on farms

The Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have published a guide for euthanizing animals on pig operations with the aim of ensuring that farms follow the criteria and techniques set out in Regulation (EC) 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter. The IRTA Animal Welfare program has been involved.

The guide is aimed at managers and staff of pig farms and is structured in two parts:

• The first part of the guide is intended to help the farmer make decisions as to which animals should be euthanized, depending on the severity of lesions, mobility, etc., and which decision to make (veterinary treatment and follow-up, shipment to slaughterhouse, on-farm slaughtering for human consumption or, finally, euthanasia).
• The second part deals with the legal methods of euthanasia appropriate for each type of animal (piglets, fattening pigs, or breeding animals) and how to carry them out.

Guía para la eutanasia de animales en explotaciones porcinas