ActPig – Improve pig production, now!
Project overview
Participants
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Short summary
Tail biting indicates an inadequate rearing environment and negatively affects both production and animal welfare. In ActPig!, we continue to develop a straw rack designed to ensure sufficient straw provision to meet the pigs' behavioral needs without compromising pen hygiene
Problem description
Tail biting is a serious issue in pig production that negatively affects welfare, productivity, and sustainability. For the pig being bitten, tail injuries cause pain, reduced growth, and result in parts of the carcass being unusable. For the pig doing the biting, tail biting is a sign of compromised welfare, usually caused by the lack of opportunities to express natural behaviors due to a barren environment. According to legislation, pigs must be provided with enrichment material—preferably straw—to enable exploratory behavior.
However, in recent times, the number of tail injuries has increased, which is likely linked to insufficient straw provision, as animal welfare inspections have noted a rise in deficiencies related to straw availability during the same period. Producers report that they are unable to provide more straw because it compromises pen hygiene and interferes with manure removal. Additionally, animal welfare officers at the County Administrative Board lack a standardized tool to assess straw availability in a consistent and equitable manner.
ActPig! – three overall objectives
- To develop a straw rack that reduces tail biting and increases the opportunity for natural behavior
- To test the straw rack in production settings
- To develop a method for assessing whether pigs have received sufficient straw
Subprojects and implementation
The project consists of five parts carried out in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the final outcomes are adapted both to the conditions of pig producers and the requirements of legislation.
Part 1: We pilot test different versions of the straw rack and develop the one that best meets our criteria.
Part 2: The selected straw rack is studied under controlled conditions at the Lövsta Research Centre.
Part 3: A protocol is developed and validated for assessing straw availability during animal welfare inspections, along with a checklist for producers to ensure sufficient straw provision.
Part 4: The straw rack is refined and evaluated in a commercial herd to ensure it functions effectively in production. At the same time, the protocol and checklist developed in Part 3 are tested and evaluated.
Part 5: The impact of the straw rack on the sustainability of pig production is assessed based on data collected during the project.