European Union: EFSA updates its scientific advice on pig welfare

EFSA has published an opinion on the issue of tail docking in pigs.

EFSA’s experts have identified the relationship between:

• Risk factors, such as the inadequacy or absence of functional manipulable material or poor health.
• Welfare consequences, such as inability to explore, forage or nest; competition for manipulable material; and injuries or pain due to tail-biting.
• Animal and non-animal based indicators, such as tail, ear or flank biting; increase of skin lesions or manipulation of penmates and pen furniture.

This opinion will contribute to the efforts of the European Commission to implement minimum standards for the protection of pigs.

Scientific Opinion concerning a Multifactorial approach on the use of animal and non-animal-based measures to assess the welfare of pigs