Compassion In World Farming Ireland

Facts About Irish Farm Animals - PIGS

What does Compassion in World Farming - Ireland want?

We want all pigs kept in systems that allow them to move about freely and carry out their natural instinctive behaviours, such as rooting in the ground. We believe that, ideally, pigs should have access to the outdoors and be kept free-range with shelter and bedding provided. Where this is not possible, we want to see pigs kept indoors in pens with plenty of room to move around and suitable material provided for them to lie on and to root about in, and with the company of other pigs except when farrowing.

What improvements have there been?

Compassion in World Farming - Ireland has been campaigning for better conditions for pigs in Ireland since 1992. Since then, EU law has brought about welcome improvements: tethering of pregnant sows is now illegal; the keeping of pregnant sows in narrow stalls after the first 4 weeks of pregnancy will be illegal from 2013; routine tail-docking is now prohibited under EU law; and EU law requires that fattening pigs must be provided with manipulable enrichment material (such as straw or mushroom compost) that they can root in; from 2013, breeding pigs will also have to be given manipulable enrichment material.

How do pigs live naturally?

Pigs were first domesticated from wild pigs (boar) in Europe and Eastern Asia around ten thousand years ago. Many breeds have been developed from these wild ancestors, although the majority of pigs on farms in Ireland today are from a few selected breeds and crossbreeds.

Pigs are considered by many to be equal in intelligence to dogs. They naturally live in social groups near woodland. They use their highly sensitive snouts to search out a wide variety of foods. The female pig (sow) builds a large nest where she will farrow (give birth) and protect her piglets. Under natural conditions the piglets would normally be weaned (no longer suckle but eat solid food) when they are 10 to 20 weeks old.

Contrary to popular belief, pigs are very clean animals and use a toilet area away from their living space. The misunderstanding about pigs being dirty arises because pigs wallow in mud in hot weather to protect their skin from the sun and to keep cool because they do not sweat like humans.

How many pigs are there in Ireland?

There are about 160,000 breeding sows in the Republic of Ireland. These are the pigs that produce litters of piglets that are then fattened and slaughtered for the meat market. Breeding sows have up to 6 or 7 pregnancies, each one lasting nearly 4 months. When their productive life is over, they are slaughtered.

There are about 1.5 million young pigs in the Republic of Ireland. These are the offspring of the breeding sows, and they will be fattened and slaughtered for meat.

How are most pigs in the Republic of Ireland kept?

On the majority of pig farms in the Republic of Ireland, pigs are kept inside large sheds with little natural lighting and no access to outdoors. These are known as intensive pig farms or factory farms.

A small number of pigs are kept on free-range or organic farms. These pigs have access to outdoors and a shed or small house to go into for warmth or to keep dry. Compassion in World Farming - Ireland believes that well-run free-range or organic systems offer pigs a much better standard of life than factory farms.

How are breeding sows kept on intensive pig farms in the Republic of Ireland?

Some sows are kept thoughout their pregnancies in narrow sow stalls (see photo, right). Sows kept in stalls are unable to turn around and cannot exercise. The floor they stand or lie on is usually concrete, with slats at the back for waste removal. The sows have to lie down in the same area that they use for the toilet. The sows stay like this for their entire pregnancy - nearly four months. Apart from when they are carrying their first litter, for which they are usually kept in group housing, sows will spend all their pregnancies confined in stalls - this is up to 6 or 7 pregnancies in total. When their productive life is over, they are slaughtered.

This system will be prohibited throughout the EU in 2013. From 2013, keeping pregnant sows in narrow stalls after the first 4 weeks of pregnancy will be prohibited. This means that, after the first 4 weeks of pregnancy, sows will have to be moved into group housing for the remainder of their pregnancies. Compassion in World Farming - Ireland welcomes the ban on the use of sow stalls after the first 4 weeks of pregnancy.

What is group housing?

In group housing, a number of sows live together in a pen. They are kept indoors all the time, with no access to the outside. In good group housing systems, the sows are provided with straw or a similar natural material, for rooting in and sleeping on. If well designed and well run, group housing systems can provide a high standard of welfare for sows.

What are farrowing crates?

Indoor sows are usually moved to a farrowing crate just before they are due to give birth. They stay there until their piglets are taken away when they are about four weeks old. The farrowing crate is narrow and it is difficult for the sow to stand up or lie down; turning around is impossible.

The pig farming industry argues that the farrowing crate is used to stop the sow from accidentally lying down on her piglets and crushing them. However, Compassion in World Farming - Ireland believes that farrowing crates cause sows unnecessary suffering and frustration. There are alternative indoor systems for farrowing which provide protection for the piglets whilst giving the sow more freedom to move around and allowing her to build a nest.

What happens to the piglets?

After being taken from their mothers when they are about 4 weeks old, the piglets are fattened for meat (pork, bacon, ham, sausages). Usually, young piglets (weaners) are reared in pens for the first 6 weeks and then transferred to fattening houses where they are often kept in crowded conditions on concrete and slatted floors with dim lighting. EU law requires that fattening pigs are provided with manipulable enrichment material (such as straw or mushroom compost) but many farms in the EU and in Ireland fail to do this.

What are mutilations?

Farmers may cut off part of piglets' tails because the piglets may bite at each other's tails and cause injuries. This unnatural behaviour happens when the pigs are kept in crowded, barren conditions, in particular when sufficient quantities of a suitable rooting material are not provided. Tail docking should not be necessary. 95% of fattening pigs in the Republic of Ireland are tail docked, according to a report by the European Food Safety Authority on pig tail biting. EU law prohibits routine tail docking, but this law is widely disregarded.

In some EU countries, but not the Republic of Ireland, male piglets are castrated. Not castrating piglets is better in welfare terms because castration is a painful and stressful process for piglets.

Can pigs be kept outdoors?

Yes, and this is a very natural way to keep pigs. Pigs kept outdoors in systems that comply with certain standards are called "free-range pigs". If they are also fed on a natural diet, and specific organic standards are kept, they are called "organic pigs". In outdoor systems, herds of sows are usually kept together with small huts provided for shelter. When the sows are ready to farrow, they are often moved to new ground where they will have a hut to themselves and their piglets.

In Ireland there are only a very small number of free-range and organic pig farms. Compassion in World Farming - Ireland believes that where climate and soil type is suitable, outdoor pig production should be encouraged.

Which law deals with pig welfare?

Council Directive 91/630/EEC as amended lays down minimum standards for the protection of pigs throughout the EU.

What now?

Compassion in World Farming - Ireland will continue to do all it can to encourage free-range and organic pigs, and where this is not possible, for indoor pigs to be kept in well-run and well-designed group housing systems. We also encourage consumers who buy meat to choose free-range or organic pigmeat (pork, rashers, sausages etc.) and to ask their local supermarkets to stock this.