Round 2: Top 5 best practices for Pigs with undocked tails category

The process now moves forward to determine the three final winning practices for the Pigs with undocked tails category.    

Easy management of rooting materials: Proactive tail-biting prevention

This practice focuses on a structured monitoring and intervention protocol to prevent tail biting. Caretakers perform daily checks while emptying troughs, specifically looking for "hanging tails" or wounds as early warning signs. If two or more pigs show hanging tails, or if a single wound is detected, a two-step intervention is triggered: first, increasing the supply of straw, and second, introducing novelty enrichment such as hanging bottles or Christmas trees to redirect behavior. This systematic approach ensures that emerging issues are marked immediately and addressed by the team before they escalate

Rooting material must fit the pig

his good practice centers on providing a diverse assortment of rooting materials—including chains, sisal ropes, balls, wooden sticks, and jute sacks—delivered easily via a feed wagon to suit the individual preferences of different pigs. To support the transition to the farm, a specialized "welcoming feed" enriched with salt, acids, magnesium, and vitamins is provided to stabilize gut health and calm the animals.

SAPARO-application – digital tool for risk assessment, action planning and follow up of tail biting

he SAPARO Application is a free digital tool designed to help farmers systematically prevent and manage tail biting. By combining a desktop dashboard with a mobile tracker that works offline, the system allows caretakers and veterinarians to assess environmental risk factors, record subtle "nibbling" incidents via a "tail feeling" assessment, and generate location-based data. On this farm, the app was implemented to tackle financial losses from slaughterhouse condemnations, providing precise monitoring and a structured action plan that bridges the gap between daily barn rounds and long-term prevention strategies.

LIMIT the occurrence of bites and PERSIST

This farm transitioned to intact tails eight years ago to streamline labor. The shift was supported by a six-month trial that identified and resolved specific biting triggers. Success is maintained through enhanced comfort, such as replacing wire flooring with concrete slats and rubber mats, and environmental control, including lowering fattening temperatures and increasing meal frequency. By prioritizing superior air quality via specialized ventilation (LEP flaps and Swiss chimneys), the farm has successfully eliminated tail docking, reducing the workload while improving overall animal welfare.

Managing pigs with intact tails by giving them a daily portion of alfalfa

o comply with welfare regulations, this farmer transitioned to long-tailed pigs by evolving his enrichment strategy. After early trials with straw caused slurry pit clogging, he switched to distributing dehydrated alfalfa. The piglets find the alfalfa highly attractive, using it for both nutritional fiber and foraging behavior. By combining this "sub-optimal" enrichment with a flawless barn environment—specifically managing stray currents and ensuring permanent feed access—the farm now successfully manages 30% of its pigs with intact tails without any severe biting incidents.