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Imprint
Refraining from tail docking: Solutions from farms for farms
Project
Project code: ML 204.1, FLI-ITT-08-Ce-0022
Contract period: 01.10.2012
- 30.09.2014
Budget: 272,745 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
This project tests possibilities for keeping un-tail-docked pigs on working farms by means of variying factors which could be varied on the average conventional farm. The main focus lies on enrichment and stocking density.
During the experiment, data from 242 weaner groups and 212 grower-fisher groups were collected. More weaners than grower-finishers had blood or crusts on their tail, i.e. fresh injuries. Gorwer-finishers had more tail losses but usually fewer fresh lesions. Therefore, tail lesions healed during the growing-finishing period, except for groups which were moved with fresh tail lesions to the growing-finishing barn. This means, tail biting in weaners strongly influenced tail biting in grower-finishers. Conclusion: Instead of completely stopping tail docking on an entire farm, we recommend a stepwise approach. This also applies to farms which do not have any tail biting problems in docked pigs and a high level of productivity, like the farms in our study. Final report in German
Section overview
Subjects
- Animal Husbandry
- Animal health
- Farm animal behaviour
Framework programme
Funding programme
Excutive institution
FLI - Institute for Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry (FLI - ITT)
