This is our Friday rubric: every week a new Science Page from the Bob Morrison’s Swine Health Monitoring Project. The previous editions of the science page are available on our website.
Francesca Menegon, Annalisa Scollo, Samuele Trestini, Rachele Urbani, Giuseppe Ru and Guido Di Martino share the results of their pilot study examining the phasing out of tail docking.
Key points
- Transitioning from full tail docking to partial undocked was successful, while fully undocked tail led to increased lesions, mortality and production costs.
- The incidence of tail lesions at slaughter rose significantly, from 1% in docked pigs up to 41% in fully undocked pigs.
- Providing non-continuous straw was found to be inadequate, underscoring the necessity for more systematic and consistent management practices.
Introduction
In pig farming, tail biting (TB) is a major welfare and financial problem that frequently results in injuries, decreased output, and increased labour requirements. Although tail docking has been used extensively to prevent TB, it is painful and does not solve the issue. In EU, the European Commission outlawed regular docking and subsequently strengthened its requirements; nonetheless, audits showed that member states’ implementation of these measures was not very successful. Even though docking is illegal in some Member States, such as Finland and Sweden, more than 95% of pigs are nevertheless docked in major pig-producing countries. Since then, national action strategies have been presented to encourage TB prevention and progressively decrease docking. New measures include supporting automated detection systems at slaughterhouses, monitoring tail lesions, and mandating that farmers keep their pigs undocked. Making the transition to completely undocked systems is still difficult, expensive, and subject to a number of risk factors. The short-term effects of switching from full docking to totally undocked pigs via three transitional phases are assessed in this observational study in terms of productivity, health, and economics.
Methods
This study conducted a retrospective analysis of data from 22 intensive pig farms located in Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy, encompassing 36 weaning batches and 84 fattening batches. The pigs, both Italian (Hypor × Fomeva) and imported (from Denmark and the Netherlands), were raised under standardized housing, feeding, and welfare conditions. All farms implemented all-in/all-out procedures. The farms followed three steps of tail management: 100% docked, a mix of docked and undocked pigs, and 100% undocked pigs. Farmers received training on how to manage undocked pigs, and the use of straw enrichment was made mandatory at least during periods of pigs’ restlessness, with additional enrichment provided in some instances. Data were collected on production, health, and economic factors, including feed conversion, mortality rates, daily weight gain, medication usage, and the presence of tail lesions at slaughter. Clinical scores at weaning, as well as the use of antimicrobials and NSAIDs, were documented, along with estimated labor costs associated with optimal straw management. Statistical analyses—such as ANOVA, Bonferroni post hoc tests, and linear regression—were employed to evaluate the relationships between tail management practices and outcomes related to productivity, health, and costs.
Results
A total of 52,370 weaned piglets and 167,607 fattening pigs were analysed across three tail-management steps. The introduction of partially undocked groups (step 2) did not impact productivity during weaning. However, fully undocked pigs (step 3) exhibited higher mortality rates, poorer feed conversion ratios (FCR), lower feed yield, and significantly increased production costs. During weaning, producing 1 kg of meat in step 3 cost 33.9% more than in step 1. In the fattening stage, step 1 outperformed both step 2 and step 3 in terms of growth, FCR, feed yield, and mortality. Additionally, undocked pigs incurred higher costs and experienced more tail lesions (41% compared to 1% in docked pigs). Step 2 decreased drug costs but increased feed expenses. Labor estimates indicated that providing ideal straw was both time-consuming and costly, especially with small racks. Mortality had a significant economic impact, substantially raising costs and reducing feed yield during both the weaning and fattening cycles.
Discussion
The impact of replacing routine tail docking with fully undocked pigs was assessed in commercial farm settings. The transition was examined in three stages: fully docked pigs (step 1), mixed groups of docked and undocked pigs (step 2), and 100% undocked pigs (step 3). While step 2 seemed relatively safe, step 3 resulted in negative outcomes, including higher mortality rates, poorer feed conversion, reduced growth, and a 40-fold increase in tail lesions observed at slaughter. Production costs rose, particularly during weaning (up by 34%) and fattening (increased by 7%), due to feed inefficiencies, longer rearing times, mortality, and additional labor required for straw management. Straw enrichment was only provided intermittently, which may have heightened the risk of tail biting (TB), while other protective measures were applied inconsistently. Despite operating at lower stocking densities than the EU minimums, management decisions about the enrichment materials and untimely farmer vigilance may have influenced the outcomes. Mortality had a major impact on costs, while drug use remained comparable across the different stages. Additional economic burdens included labor costs, investments for adaptation, and potential losses from carcass condemnation. Overall, completely eliminating tail docking under current farm practices appears to determine economic losses and carries significant welfare risks unless supported by consistent enrichment and improved management practices.
Conclusion
Raising a small group of undocked pigs is feasible, but transitioning to fully undocked herds is more challenging. Providing intermittent straw alone is not enough to prevent tail biting, which highlights the necessity for systematic improvements in both the environment and management practices. To facilitate this transition, gradual adaptation, investments, and consistent monitoring are essential. Initially maintaining 10–50% undocked pigs can help farmers identify the areas that need adjustment. Since tail biting is influenced by multiple factors, a successful transition requires time and stepwise changes.Full Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15091250