Pigs are descended from the wild boar. They originally lived in the forests of Britain and roamed for miles, spending 70% of their day foraging. Their snout and strong neck helped them to grab up roots, beechnuts, acorns and insects. When they were hot they sought shade under the trees and made nests from the litter in the forest when cold. Sows make great mothers. In the wild they walk for miles to find straw and twigs to build nests for their babies. They give birth to litters averaging 5 piglets and sing to them while they are nursing.
Apparently, wild pigs play an important role in managing ecosystems and maintaining biodiversity. By rooting and thus disturbing the soil, they create areas for new plant colonisation. They also spread fruit plants by dispersing their seeds. Most pigs now live as livestock. They are loyal, peaceful, inquisitive, fun-loving, highly sociable animals full of joie de vivre and communicate constantly with each other. More than 20 grunts and squeals have been identified for different situations. They spend hours exploring and playing games. Pigs make nests for sleeping, love close contact, and huddle together for warmth.
They are sensitive to extremes of climate, since they don’t have sweat glands, except on the tip of their snout, so like dogs, lose heat through their mouths, and through panting in hot conditions. They are hairless and rely on fat for insulation. On hot days, they like to keep cool by rolling around in the mud to reduce their body temperature and keep parasites away. Happy pigs often have curly tails and when stressed they tuck their tails between their legs. An unhappy pig can squeal as loud as a rock band. Pigs have been known to demonstrate empathy for other pigs. They can be aggressive if mixed with unfamiliar animals.
Contrary to what people think, they are very clean animals, and use designated toilet areas in their territory, purposely avoiding soiling their sleeping area. Even newborn piglets, leave the nest to go to the toilet within hours of birth. They have been found to be more trainable than dogs, and similarly, piglets learn their names within 2-3 weeks of age and respond when called. It is said they have the cognitive capacity of a 3 year old child. Some scientists believe pigs are one of the most intelligent animals, close behind apes and dolphins. There are numerous stories of pigs, that have saved the lives of humans. For example, one pig ran out on to the road in front of a car, when his owner collapsed. Winston Churchill famously said, “I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.”
A pig’s natural life can be 15 years or more, compared to around 6 months at a factory farm. Pig meat is the most commonly consumed meat in the world and most pigs are reared for bacon, gammon, ham, pork and sausages. The average pig farm in the UK contains 500-900 sows. Only about 3% or less spend their entire life outdoors. Housing systems range from intensive environments (extreme confinement) to extensive farming that allow pigs most of their natural behaviours. From lowest to highest welfare:
Intensive indoor systems: 75% of pigs spend their whole lives, in dimly lit, crowded windowless, barren sheds on slatted bare concrete floors, which often damage their feet and legs (slats allow pig manure to drop through for easy disposal). They have no outdoor access or straw bedding for natural rooting behaviours (bedding falls through slats and blocks up system underneath). Conditions are noisy and the smell of ammonia is overpowering. It is difficult to imagine highly intelligent animals, being forced into crowded cells in filth and squalor, with no bedding and nothing to do. This is the lowest welfare.
Breeding sows may be fed ‘maintenance’ rations to make them breed efficiently. They are bred to have rapid growth rates, and normally eat 2-3 times more. Without straw bedding they have no additional way of gaining fibre to satisfy their hunger. They are treated like ‘baby machines’. As a result of selective breeding a sow can give birth to10 or more piglets. Some have had 13-14 and 20 has been known. In 2012 the average number of pigs reared per sow was 24. She will spend at least 2/3 of her life being pregnant and produce around 4-7 litters before becoming exhausted. The industry’s drive to increase the litter size, results in high mortality amongst piglets.
Females are first impregnated at 6-8 months old, by a boar but increasingly by artificial insemination. A lifetime spent on hard concrete floors causes breeding sows to suffer a high incidence of lameness, which leads to an inability to posture properly for mating. Boars are housed in single pens to prevent fighting. Pregnancy lasts 4 months. One week before her babies are due, she is forced into a metal farrowing crate (usually with a bare slatted floor) barely longer than the sow herself. One of the most barbaric tools in the industry.
Most sows give birth in crates in the UK. Some producers use indoor pens. She will remain there until her litter is weaned around 28 days. She can’t step forwards or backwards, or turn around. Justification for this is that she would otherwise crush her young. Pregnant animals ache all over and many have back and leg problems. Due to confinement and lack of bedding material, her strong instinct to build a nest is denied. Negative effects of this have shown abnormal behaviour, psychological stress, reduced piglet survival and the savaging of piglets.
Frustration leads to bar biting, because the bars deprive her from enjoying and interacting with her babies. She can’t nuzzle or comfort them. The newborn piglets are forced to suckle from a small heated area known as a ‘creep’, adjacent to, but separate from their mother. The normal weaning process is 13-17 weeks, and would occur gradually, but it is stopped abruptly because after 3-4 weeks the piglets are moved from the farrowing unit, and transferred into concrete pens or metal cages.
Following removal of her piglets, the mother is returned to a group pen with other sows, so she can recover and be re-impregnated within a matter of days. The whole misery-go-round continues. Separation causes distress to both. It increases the speed in which the sow comes into season, so she can have another litter earlier than nature intended. These naturally playful and gentle animals soon become frustrated and bored, and begin fighting with each other. Desperate for their mother’s teats, the piglets then suckle and bite each other’s tails.
Rather than give them more room, the ‘remedy’ is to amputate the lower part of the tail, which can often result in infection, due to dirty farm environments. The tail tip is left permanently sensitive and the belief is, they will quickly escape, if others try to bite it. Most piglets also have their pointed side-teeth clipped down to gum level to prevent them from lacerating the sow’s udder (twice the amount of mouths they are designed for) or the faces of their siblings (twice the competition for suckling space).
These major mutilations are done without anaesthetic, within days of birth and are both very painful. Their ears are notched, for identification (mainly for breeding pigs) and they are given a series of vaccinations. Nose rings are not banned in the UK but rarely used, however they are in some overseas farms. The aim is for better pasture management, not to benefit the pig. This limits and frustrates outdoor pigs from rooting behaviour, the digging of wallows and nest building. They cause discomfort and pain. Piglets are generally not castrated in the UK since they are slaughtered before sexual maturity. Most in Europe are, mainly without anaesthetic/analgesia.
This is primarily done to reduce ‘boar taint’ (flavour in meat) caused by sexual pheromones in males, to accommodate customers. Also to check early signs of aggression. Some piglets die of stress when they are weaned early, moved to a new pen and mixed with strange pigs or have diarrhoea (change of diet). After about 6 weeks they are moved to rearing pens or new farms for final fattening on a high protein diet. Around 90% of piglets are actually ‘finished’ in indoor fattening units, which are crowded barren sheds, with slatted floors.
The piglets grow much faster than nature intended and are often unable to support their weight. Heart problems and leg deformities are common. Respiratory infections (pneumonia) are endemic due to overcrowding. Their feed is often laced with antibiotics to help them survive living in extreme amounts of dust and each other’s excrement. After about 6 months, those not selected for breeding are slaughtered. Some die during transit due to stress caused by overcrowding, long journeys, rough handling and extremes of temperature.
In Europe current legislation allows animals to be transported for several days. Pigs can travel up to 24 hours provided there is continuous access to water. Then they must be unloaded, fed, watered and rested for at least 24 hours before they can travel for a further 24 hours. This sequence can be repeated. After 3-5 years the sow’s productivity wanes, the stud boars are ‘spent’ and they are sent to slaughter, usually to be turned into pies or sausages.
Higher welfare indoor systems: pigs are kept in groups on solid floors with straw, or other material for bedding and rooting. They have no outdoor access, but have free movement within the pen or shed. There is less crowding, tail docking and teeth cutting. Some systems have deep bedding for foraging and comfort. Sows may still farrow (give birth) in farrowing crates. In better systems they can give birth in huts and pens.
Outdoor bred: piglets are born in outdoor systems in straw bedded arcs for shelter, with access to a large outdoor paddock. They can build nests, root and forage. Around 3-4 weeks after the sow gives birth, the piglets will be weaned and taken away from her and moved indoors for growing (18 weeks) and finishing (slaughtered about 22 weeks old). Indoor systems have varying levels of welfare. Intensive, with poor conditions or extensive conditions with straw bedded systems, in large airy barns. The growing and finishing system should be clearly stated on the label (not free range…piglets are outdoor bred and weaned, then moved inside as quickly as possible for fattening). This is the cheapest UK outdoor system. Sows remain in the outdoor system, throughout their lives.
Outdoor bred and reared: piglets are born and reared in the outdoor systems for around 10 weeks, before being moved to an indoor finishing unit. They may not have access to pasture, or be able to roam but will have access to an outside pen and a straw bedded tent or arc (not free range…piglets don’t have free access outside). This is better than outdoor bred only.
Free-range: there is no legal definition of ‘free-range pork.’ CIWF believe this should mean pigs are born and reared in outdoor systems throughout their lives, and have permanent access to pasture.
Organic: sows and boars are kept in outdoor systems throughout their lives, in conditions that as far as possible allow them to express their natural behaviours. They have permanent access to pasture, straw bedded huts or tents and a large paddock. Organic standards prohibit tail docking, teeth cutting, castration and the use of antibiotics on a routine basis. Piglets are weaned slightly later. They stay outside with their family, until they go to slaughter.
However, the final fattening phase may take place indoors, as is the case with organic cows and sheep, as long as it does not exceed one-fifth of their lifetime. Artificial insemination is permitted, which is completely unnatural and highly invasive. (Highest welfare standard) Modern intensive breeds can’t cope with too much rain, snow or sun, so outdoor pig arcs or tents, may be inadequate in cold weather. They can suffer a high incidence of respiratory and other diseases, stress as well as lameness due to boggy ground.
Genetic Engineering for farm animals: is selective breeding, by transferring genes, between animal species. Pig breeders developed a sow with extra teats and larger litters by crossing a British breed with the Chinese Meishan pig. Meishan sows have up to 18 teats and average 16 piglets per litter, compared with 12 teats and 11 piglets for British breeds. They are very high in fat, and not suitable for the meat industry. A Beltsville pig was given the gene of a cattle growth hormone, hoping he might grow faster and leaner. Instead he suffered from a range of disabilities and painful conditions, ulcers, blindness and sterility and had to be euthanized. What effect will this have on food production and animal welfare?
Christians Caring For Gods Creatures 