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The Spanish government has approved Royal Decree 809/2025, of September 16, which modifies Royal Decree 1135/2002 on minimum standards for the protection of pigs. This new regulation adjusts some aspects introduced in 2023 and establishes a classification of pig farms into three types, depending on tail docking management and the level of animal welfare achieved.
Type 1 farms, which keep all animals with intact tails, will be able to apply less restrictive stocking densities, returning to the values set out in Directive 2008/120/EC. On the other hand, Type 3 farms (which still practice general tail docking) will have to continue to comply with the more demanding densities set in 2023.
The decree also creates an intermediate category, Type 2, for farms that still have some tail-docked animals but have implemented welfare improvement plans. These farms will be able to maintain slightly higher densities if they demonstrate compliance with several conditions, such as having an animal welfare plan, automatic temperature and air quality control systems, limited use of antibiotics, and enrichment materials used for at least 86% of the animals.
In addition, the new text requires 2.5% of space to be reserved for the isolation of sick or injured animals and specifies the minimum number of feeding and drinking points based on the size of the animals.
Royal Decree 809/2025 will come into force on March 9, 2026, and seeks to encourage the phasing out of tail docking by rewarding farms that achieve high levels of animal welfare without compromising productivity.
October 10, 2025/ BOE/ Spain.
https://www.boe.es
