DEVELOPMENTS AND PERSPECTIVES IN PIG FARMING AS RELATED TO ANIMAL-WELFARE - STATUS-REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP ANIMAL-WELFARE OF THE SENATE OF THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FOOD, AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY, FEDERAL-REPUBLIC-OF-GERMANY

The working group ''Animal Welfare'' of the Senate of the Federal Research Centers of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry has dealt with problems and perspectives of pig welfare. The results can be summarized as follows: 1. In today's practical pig production the following organizational principles are preferably applied: Separation of different areas and phases of production, according to hygienic, technical, functional aspects as related to animal requirements. Effective reproductive management in so called eros centers. Individual control, care and supply of sows, mainly by keeping them tethered or in individual crates. Litterwise rearing of piglets until weaning in farrowing pens, and postweaning housing in various rearing facilities. Fattening of pigs on slatted floors with automized systems of supply and disposal of wastes. No or very little use of bedding material especially in the housing of pregnant sows and fattening pigs. Highly concentrated food stuffs in performance-oriented rations. 2. There are many rational reasons, also with respect to pig welfare, for the systems predominantly employed in pig production. However, the following welfare problems have to be considered: Locomotional restrictions in individual housing of sows. Problems arising from relatively barren environmental conditions, possibly resulting in disturbed behaviour. Restrictions with respect to the differential utilization of space in pig housing facilities. Pig welfare regulations (e.g. Germany) and guidelines (e.g. EC) aim at respective solutions of the problems listed above. 3. Recent developments in pig production are reflecting the legal situation, besides aiming for other production-related improvements. They comprise the following tendencies: Improvements and modifications within existing systems, in order to eliminate welfare-relevant deficiencies. Employment of modern technologies to improve pig welfare, e.g. facilitating of group housing by means of electronic identification and transponder-feeding of sows. Systems including multiple offers of environmental conditions. Alternative systems without differentiation of production phases, e.g. so called family pens. 4. The following tasks in pig welfare research can be identified: Since the behavioural inventory for pigs can be regarded as relatively complete, it seems important to investigate ethological preferences of pigs with respect to management systems, by means of adequate techniques, such as multiple choice experiments and operant conditioning. Welfare-relevant effects of modified and new pig housing facilities cannot be deducted theoretically, but have to be carefully identified by means of significant indicators relevant to animal welfare. Further physiological parameters of stress and their correlations to specific and unspecific defense mechanisms against health disorders have to be investigated. Development of integrated systems of pig production, which meet the requirements of pig welfare, ecological necessities, economic efficiency as well as those of humane working conditions and high product quality. Effective solutions of pig welfare-related problems require interdisciplinary and integrated research.