Project
Tail biting and tail docking in the pig:
- biological mechanisms, prevention, treatment and economic aspects
Tail biting is a serious welfare problem in Nordic as well as in other countries. In addition to being a sign of reduced welfare, tail biting causes animal welfare problems in itself, by causing victims pain and increasing the risk for secondary infections. Occurrence of tail biting reduces pig growth, increases carcass condemnations and veterinary costs, and thus reduces the profitability of farms. On-going tail biting problems might even force a farmer to invest in major re-modelling of the production unit.
This project consists of 3 inter-related work packages
WP 1: Causal mechanisms in tail biting
An outbreak of tail biting is a difficult to predict because of the complex aetiology of risk factors. Central identified risk factors include feed-related problems and factors related to lack of opportunities to show normal or natural behaviour. Additionally, the lack of enrichment during rearing has been shown to increase biting behaviour and alter the HPA-function of pigs and early stress, both pre-and postnatal, disrupts brain organisation, causing e.g. higher levels of aggression and impaired social behaviour. In WP 1 brain measures and stress physiology will be studied in relation to tail biting, as well as nutritional risk factors for tail biting, and the effect of enrichment during early development on tail biting risk.
WP 2: Preventive and treatment strategies
One way of reducing tail biting is tail docking. Docking, however, does not eliminate tail biting and it does not address the welfare problems causing the tail biting in the first place. In addition, tail docking can cause welfare problems in itself, both because of the short term pain related to docking and longer term pain causes by the formation of neuromas. On the other hand, the level of pain induced by tail biting, both acutely and chronically, has so far not been evaluated. In WP 2 effects of tail docking and tail biting as well as of medical treatment of tail biting on animal health, behaviour and nociception will be studied.
WP 3: Economics of tail biting and preventive measures
From a farmers’ point of view it is crucial to evaluate how different measures to predict, prevent and manage tail biting affect the overall profitability and competitiveness of the production system. From society’s point of view it is important to identify which animal welfare measures are profitable enough to be implemented by the farmers themselves and which measures need additional means, such as providing the farmer with economic incentives to solve the animal welfare problem proactively. In WP 3 a model for estimating the effects of tail biting and its prevention on animal welfare and economic performance of pig production will be developed.
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