Fouled or dirty objects in the pen

What To Look For:

Objects broken off chains, or detached objects which are or have been in the dunging area (large percentage of the surface covered in muck)

Additional information:

Objects broken off chains, or detached objects which are or have been in the dunging area (large percentage of the surface covered in muck).

Where objects are provided for enrichment, these should be suspended from the pen walls to help keep the objects clean and in use. Pigs maintain interest in clean objects which are destructible or deformable, rather than solid metal or objects that are too large to chew or bite. Indestructible objects on the floor that have become fouled will not encourage interaction with the pigs. Providing objects in this way can also be a sign of reaction to tail biting, rather than using enrichment objects as preventative measures.

Suggestions:

Where objects are provided, they need to be kept clean and dung free, ie suspended from pen fitting away from the dunging area, and deformable to the pigs (ie correct size for size of pig, and of a material that the pigs can get their teeth into).

Additional actions that can be taken are:

  • Increase the regularity of checks on objects on chains and ensure all pens have clean objects
  • Where objects frequently become detached, consider different methods of attachment
  • Chains, baler twine, strips of material and rope are all suitable for suspending objects from pen walls
  • Attach objects more directly to pen walls to reduce the ability of pigs to remove them e.g. bolting objects to pen walls (ensure they are still mobile enough to be interesting)
  • Ensure that absorbent materials such as rope and material are replaced between batches, ensure that non-absorbent materials such as metal chains are thoroughly disinfected between batches
  • Incorporate object checking and replacement into daily routine
  • Ensure that all objects are returned to pens when buildings have been cleaned and disinfected (include in cleaning checklist)

Additional material:

Environmental Enrichment for Confinement pigs -http://www.grandin.com/references/LCIhand.html

EU Staff Working Document on best practices for the prevention of routine tail-docking and the provision of enrichment materials to pigs

https://ec.europa.eu/food/sites/food/files/animals/docs/aw_practice_farm_pigs_stfwrkdoc_en.pdf

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