1. Reducing the number of tail-docked piglets in Denmark
Grange, Ireland
4.-6. October 2016
Dorte Schrøder-Petersen
/ Danish Veterinary and Food Administration / Titel på præsentation

2. Danish pig production in numbers (2015)*
Approximately 31 mio. pigs produced (3.769 herds)
Aproximately 19 mio. pigs slaugthered in Denmark
Approximately 12 mio. piglets exported
Approximately 3 % of all slaughtered pigs in Denmark are not allowed to be tail-docked because they are special labelled pigs (e.g. organic, “Antonius” etc.).
*Danish Agriculture & Food Counsil

3. Regulation
Implementation of Directive 2008/120/EC into national legislation
National Executive order goes beyond the directive:
Maximum ½ of the tail is allowed to be docked i DK
1/3 or 1/2 the floor must be solid, drained or a combination
A showersystem for all pigs above 20 kg.

4. Govermental actions to improve the productivity and welfare of pigs with the aim of reducing tail docking
Regular meetings with stakeholders e.g. discussing how to use manipulative materials correctly
Participate in the annual national pig congress – share information and talk to farmers
Guidelines for how to use manipulative materials and avoid tail biting

5. National Pig action plan
Higher survival rates among piglets and sows
All sows should be loose in farrowing pen
Ending castration of piglets without anesthetics
Reducing the number of tail docked piglets
Strengthened efforts against gastric ulcers
Animal welfare to be included in innovation of future pig stable systems.
More options and information for consumers
More education in animal welfare
Pig welfare improvements internationally

6. National Pig action plan
One goal is to reduce the need for tail docking by introducing:
Inspection welfare campaign
Project: Intact tails
Project: StraWell
Project: Stable design to reduce the risk of tail biting
Animal welfare label
Position paper
“4-ländertreffen”: working group on animal welfare in pigs

7. National Pig action plan
One goal is to reduce the need for tail docking by introducing:
Inspection welfare campaign
Project: Intact tails
Project: StraWell
Project: Stable design to reduce the risk of tail biting
Animal welfare label
Position paper
“4-ländertreffen”: working group on animal welfare in pigs

8. Inspection welfare campaign
In 2014 DVFA performed an inspection welfare campaign to verify compliance with the rules on adequate supply of rooting and enrichment material
Inspections were unannounced
Inspections were carried out in 200 randomly selected herds across Denmark with weaner and slaughter pigs
Information regarding the campaign was provided together with The Danish Agriculture & Food Counsil and The Danish Veterinary Association

9. National Pig action plan
One goal is to reduce the need for tail docking by introducing:
Inspection welfare campaign
Project: Intact tails
Project: StraWell
Project: Stable design to reduce the risk of tail biting
Animal welfare label
Position paper
“4-ländertreffen”: working group on animal welfare in pigs

10. Animal Welfare label
The aim of the label is to give the consumers more opportunities to choose products with better animal welfare
The label is the result of a succesful collaboration between the ministry and Animal Welfare Organisations (DOSO), Danish Agriculture & Food Counsil, meat industry, retailers and farmers
Products from the label will be available in the supermarkets from summer 2017

11. Animal welfare label
Free-range sows, curly tail (without docking or biting), more space and allocation of straw, max 8 hours of transportation (basic requirement) Same basic requirements + demand for at least 30% more space Same basic requirement + demands for a even more space, an outdoor area and straw as bedding

12. Hvordan modtages tanken om et statsligt dyrevelfærdsmærke?
Hele 80% er positivt indstillede over for tanken om et statsligt dyrevelfærdsmærke.
80%
Især kvinder forholder sig meget positivt til tanken om et statsligt dyrevelfærdsmærke.
Hele 42% svarer ‘meget positiv’ – modsat 26% blandt mændene.
GOD DYREVELFÆRD
Kilde TNS Gallup for Landbrug & Fødevarer, april Base 1030 respondenter.
Spørgsmål: Er du overvejende positiv eller negativ over for et statsligt dyrevelfærdsmærke?

13. National Pig action plan
One goal is to reduce the need for tail docking by introducing:
Inspection welfare campaign
Project: Intact tails
Project: StraWell
Project: Stable design to reduce the risk of tail biting
Animal welfare label
Position paper
“4-ländertreffen”: working group on animal welfare in pigs

14. Position paper The result of the Vught decleration (2014).
Signed by ministers from Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden
Aim: Opening of directive 2008/120/EF e.g. to change the responsibility for tail-docking pigs to also include the farmer who buys tail-docked pigs

15. National Pig action plan
One goal is to reduce the need for tail docking by introducing:
Inspection welfare campaign
Project: Intact tails
Project: StraWell
Project: Stable design to reduce the risk of tail biting
Animal welfare label
Position paper
“4-ländertreffen”: working group on animal welfare in pigs

16. “4-ländertreffen”: working group on animal welfare in pigs
Participants from Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, the Netherlands and Denmark
Topics:
How to keep pigs with intact tails
How inspections are performed in the 3 countries/Länderen
How to implement recommendation 2016/336
Uptil now two meetings:
Copenhagen, October 2015
Hannover, June 2016
Next meating in Düsseldorf late 2016