Page 6 - Demo

Page 6 %u2013 Australian Pork Newspaper, November 2024 www.porknews.com.auWITH my long-held view and advocacy of room for improvement in how Australian pigs are %u2018housed%u2019 and han- dled, I was recently drawn to this blog headline on RSPCA%u2019s website, %u2018Why the con- finement of pigs needs addressing urgently%u2019.My premise has long been those pigs, those intelligent sentient animals that give us so much while expecting so little in return, should be able to live lives free of unnecessary confinement where they are able to practice natural behaviours.Such natural and vital behaviours include foraging, rooting, wallowing, nest building and socialising.Surely it%u2019s fair and reasonable to expect pork producers and the consuming public to honour and respect such simple life drivers, even if that means %u2013 as it typically does %u2013 increased costs at production and the checkout.So, let%u2019s take a peek inside at what the RSPCA %u2018penned%u2019 on the subject%u2026It%u2019s a pressing animal welfare issue in Australian farming. Every day across Australia, more than two million young pigs are raised for meat in barren indoor farming systems, while their parents %u2013 the breeding herd %u2013 endure extended periods of extreme confinement in farrowing crates, mating stalls or boar stalls.Pigs are social and intelligent animals with distinct personalities, they love to forage and explore and thrive in an enriched environment. When farmed in restrictive systems, they%u2019re given little space or opportunity to perform natural behaviours that are essential to their wellbeing.In conventional farming systems, adult female pigs (gilts and sows) used for breeding are commonly kept in groups but placed in farrowing crates (to give birth) and mating stalls (for artificial insemination), while adult male pigs (boars) may be housed permanently in individual boar stalls. These crates and stalls severely limit the pig%u2019s ability to move freely and engage in natural behaviours. With barely enough room to take more than one step forward or backwards and unable to turn around, housing pigs in crates or stalls deprives them of the opportunity for positive experiences, resulting in boredom, frustration, aggression and distress.Most sows, boars and growers (pigs grown for meat) in intensive farming systems are housed indoors on concrete slatted floors, with no bedding or enrichment. Pigs are incredibly curious and having a variety of enrichment is vital for their mental wellbeing. When deprived of opportunities for mental stimulation and positive social interaction, they will easily become bored, frustrated and even aggressive towards other pigs. With the widespread understanding of pigs%u2019 intelligence and emotional capacity, more must be done to improve the conditions in which pigs are farmed, and both growing pigs and breeding pigs should be given the space and opportunity to perform highly motivated natural behaviours.While sow stalls to house pregnant sows have now largely been phased out voluntarily by the pig industry %u2013 though their use has not been completely eradicated, around 88 percent of industry is free of sow stalls %u2013 farrowing crates are still widely used. Farrowing crates, referred to by the pig industry as a %u2018piglet protection pen%u2019, are metalbarred crates roughly 2m long and similar in size to a sow stall except narrower. The farrowing crate has an area around it for piglets to move away and avoid accidentally being crushed by their mother %u2013 this is a genuine risk but one that can be mitigated without needing to confine sows. While confined to the farrowing crate, a sow can stand up, take a step or lie down on the slatted floors, but she is unable to turn around or do little else. It is essentially a sow stall by another name.In a conventional farming system, a pregnant sow will be moved into the farrowing crate roughly one week before she%u2019s due to give birth and stay there until her piglets are weaned, at about four weeks of age. She will spend this time unable to carry out innate foraging and nesting behaviours such as nest seeking and nest building, and unable to properly interact and bond with her piglets.Sows confined to farrowing crates risk injuries due to extended lying on hard surfaces or difficulty changing positions within the crate. They have trouble resting properly and regulating their body temperature due to movement restriction. The inability to carry out natural behaviours, including exploratory and maternal behaviours, leads to frustration and sows will often develop abnormal behaviours to cope, such as stereotypic sham chewing or bar biting.Once her piglets are weaned, a sow may then be moved into a mating stall (similar to a sow stall) to be artificially inseminated and will be kept there for up to five days before being returned to a group pen or shed with other sows. The breeding cycle of pig farming means sows will spend extended periods of their lives confined behind the bars of a farrowing crate.Author%u2019s note %u2013 while I acknowledge that factory farming of pigs arguably manages to lower production costs, versus costs involved in more welfare-friendly systems, I would argue that with growing public awareness of some of the poor practices and unacceptable welfare outcomes generated by intensive systems, bigger numbers of consumers will inevitably draw down on more of their hard-earned dollars to make animalwelfare-positive checkout choices. In a business world driven undeniably and understandably by supply and demand, the big factory farmers %u2013 especially those vertically integrated %u2013 will keep choosing to ignore public sentiment until it red lines on their balance sheets. %ufffd Selontra%u00ae Soft Bait will deliver outstanding control even under high pest pressure while protecting non-target animals wherever they might be at risk.%ufffd Storm%u00ae Secure remains as cost-effective, durable and dependable as ever and Storm%u00ae Soft Bait offers the same potency with a new level of palatability.Storm Soft BaitDistributed bywww.ccdanimalhealth.com.auFor more information,visit pest-control.basf.com.au or contact CCD Animal Health on 1300 791 009 ccdsales@ccdanimalhealth.com.auALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS.%u00a9 Copyright BASF 2023 %u00ae Registered trademark of BASF. 213735 04.2023Rodenticide solutions for every situation...A window into a confined sow%u2019s life %u2013 artistically enriched in this case, but in reality, devoid of merit.Pigs give us so much. Surely, as ultimately they serve us so well, we should return the favour and serve pigs well while they%u2019re growing with us.Not hard to spot! Happy pigs on pasture. Lives well lived should then lead to a good end of life, thus completing a positive cycle of life.Penning wise welfare wordsCantComment by BRENDON CANT