Key questions about heat stress: Digestive system
In this installment, we will discover how heat stress affects the digestive tract of pigs.
articles about behaviour-welfare
WelFarmers identifies good practices to improve pig welfare in the EU
An EU-funded project bringing together farmers, vets, advisors and researchers.
Switzerland's new labelling requirements for animal products
Meat, eggs, and milk must be labeled if they come from animals that have undergone certain painful procedures without anesthesia.
Denmark: New animal welfare report published
The rules for animal welfare are followed in the majority of the country's pig and cattle herds.
The Netherlands takes steps towards greater animal welfare in 2040
Thirteen organisations endorse the importance of a more animal-friendly livestock sector with a newly signed covenant.
Animal welfare, CAP, and trade, focus of AGRIFISH in June
The EU ministers value advancements in animal welfare, support the simplification of the CAP, and defend the European agricultural trade balance.
The promotion of play behaviour in grow-finish pigs: The relationship between behaviours indicating positive experience and physiological measures
Play was successfully promoted and sustained until the finishing period and equally expressed regardless of extra space.
Germany postpones labeling of meat according to type of husbandry
The federated states will have an additional six months for implementation.
333 attends ESPHM 2025, one of the most important scientific congresses in the swine industry
This year's edition, held in Bern, Switzerland, brought together international experts to discuss swine welfare, health, nutrition, and sustainability.
Osteomyelitis in pig carcasses at a Portuguese slaughterhouse: association with tail-biting and teeth resection
Meat inspection data were collected from 100,489 finishing pigs slaughtered in a northern Portuguese abattoir.
Animal welfare gains prominence in EU Alert Network
For the first time, the Alert Network's annual report includes notifications on animal welfare and companion animals.
Influence of deep-litter bedding materials on environmental and welfare-related factors in boar studs
Trial runs were conducted in winter and summer to compare five deep-litter bedding materials.
Less experienced observers assess piglet castration-induced acute pain differently than experienced observers: A pilot study
The present pilot study supports the enhancement and implementation of UPAPS on farm and laboratory settings by minimally qualified observers.
Sucrose inclusion in sow diets: Does it improve palatability for piglets at weaning?
Mammals, such as pigs, have a keen attraction to sweet tastes. They are able to perceive the five basic tastes: umami, sweet, bitter, sour, and salty. Sugars such as sucrose, glucose, and lactose are especially attractive to them. This trait seems to have evolved as a natural mechanism for detecting high-calorie energy sources.
Breeding for resilience in finishing pigs can decrease tail biting, lameness and mortality
Breeding for resilience traits based on deviations in longitudinal weight data can decrease pigs’ tail biting wounds, lameness and mortality while improving uniformity at the pen level.
Denmark sets new targets for pigs with intact tails
Economic compensation will be introduced to farmers who produce pigs with tails to achieve the targets approved by the Danish Parliament.