United Kingdom: Animal welfare strengthened by new codes for pigs
Welfare codes for pigs, laying hens, and meat chickens are being updated as part of a programme of reforms to safeguard and enhance the welfare of animals.
Page 26 of articles about behaviour-welfare
Auditors publish background paper on EU animal welfare measures
The European Court of Auditors is currently examining whether action by the European Commission and the Member States has made an effective contribution to achieving the EU's animal welfare objectives.
New detection method for boar taint
A rapid instrumental at-line method for simultaneous measurement of androstenone and skatole in back fat samples from entire male pigs that has been developed.
Brazil: New projects on animal welfare
The MAPA will hire specialists and technical teams with the aim of raising awareness on and training in animal welfare in the farming field.
Improving welfare and production in the peri-weaning period: Effects of co-mingling and intermittent suckling
Co-mingling of unfamiliar piglets before weaning did not improve performance. Co-mingling and intermittent suckling increased positive behaviour after weaning. Intermittent suckling likely advanced gastrointestinal changes in the peri-weaning period.
Denmark: better welfare control on pig farms
The results regarding animal welfare on pig farms in 2016 have been unsatisfactory.
High-tech camera helps protect sows and piglets
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and collaborators are using 3-D imaging to protect newborn piglets by monitoring adult female pigs' behavior.
Predicting tail biting risk using classification and regression tree analysis
Tail biting in pigs has been an identified behavioural, welfare and economic problem for decades, and requires appropriate but sometimes difficult on-farm interventions.
US withdraws the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its intent to withdraw the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) final rule.
Challenges of the Spanish pig industry
Spain is, regarding pig census, the third country in the world in relation to pig production, behind China and the USA, and the fourth as pork producer because Germany fattens many piglets imported from The Netherlands and Denmark, and it also slaughters pigs from these and other countries.
The behaviour and welfare of sows and piglets in farrowing crates or lactation pens
Three experiments were conducted to investigate the implications of replacing farrowing crates with an alternative housing system from 3 days postpartum until weaning.
UK: bill to strengthen animal welfare
New law will ensure animal abusers are jailed for up to 5 years and animal sentience is reflected in UK law.
EU: how to avoid tail docking
Tail biting is a sign of stress, and it is normally caused by environmental factors and due to inappropriate management practices regarding several factors.
Behavioral preference for different enrichment objects in a commercial sow herd
Sows can exhibit clear preferences for enrichment type, with the sows interacting with the rope significantly more often throughout the study, at each sampling hour.
Germany: Animal Welfare Initiative
In Germany, as of 2018, more than 23% of the fattening pigs will come from farms that participate in the Animal Welfare Initiative.