Work

Prevalence of tail damage and ear lesions in docked and undocked pigs during trials to find alternatives to tail docking on Spanish commercial farms

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Tail docking is widely used to control tail biting in pigs, but it is a painful and stressful procedure. The impact of non-docking trials on tail damage (TD) and ear lesions (EL) from weaning to slaughter was assessed on four commercial farms. METHODS: A total of 898 docked pigs (396 DP) or undocked pigs (502 UP) were assessed for tail damage and ear lesions at the beginning and end of the weaner stage, during fattening and at the abattoir during slaughter. RESULTS: The percentage of UP with shortened tails increased significantly from weaning to fattening, but the percentage of non-inflamed tails and tails without fresh lesions increased. In terms of severity of lesion, a lower percentage of pigs scored as 'no visible lesion' at the end of weaning compared to fattening, both for UP and DP (p < 0.05). DP always had a lower percentage of TD, whereas UP had a lower percentage of EL at the end of weaning. LIMITATION: It was not possible to statistically compare different preventive strategies trialed on farms as alternatives to docking. CONCLUSION: This study highlights that combining tail length and lesion score at slaughter could be a reliable on-farm welfare indicator.

Source: Veterinary Record

DOI: 10.1002/vetr.4436

Authors: Dayane Lemos Teixeira, Marc Bagaria, Roger Vidal, Marçal Verdú, Ricard Parés, Emma Fàbrega

Institutions: Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Language: English

Topic: Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies

Subfield: Small Animals

Field: Veterinary

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,790