Animal Welfare in Pork Industry: Alternative Housing & Disease Management

1. Presentation byAndrew Johnson2004 NuffieldScholarStudy topicAnimal Welfare specific with the pork industry. Alternative Sow Housing and Disease Management

2. Sponsored By Nufarm and HiFert – South Australian Producer Award and I would also like to thank • Australian Nuffield Farming Scholars • My family

3. STUDY • Challenge of Rural Leadership Seale Hayne Campus Plymouth sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Farmers, 2 weeks • Global Focus Tour, 6 weeks • Private Study, 11 weeks

4. Mt. Boothby Past. Co. • At Tintinara South Australia • 200kms SE of Adelaide • Family farming operation • Mixed operation, primarily value adding grain through a 600 sow farrow to finish unit, with an extensive sheep and beef enterprise

5. Mt. Boothby Grower Facility

7. Marketing Strategy • Board Member of Producer Alliance Top Pork representing 23 producers • Premium Supplier to Coles Supermarkets • Marketing under the Colestock initiative • Future Strategy, High Welfare branding

8. Study topic Started as a broad subject and remained so • What is Animal Welfare, regulation and policy • Alternative Housing systems focusing on high welfare management systems • Disease Management particularly PMWS and partial depopulation • Business alternatives and structures • Alliances • Producer integration

9. Countries Visited • United Kingdom • Holland • Denmark • Sweden • Germany • Canada • United States

10. Discussion • Appreciate comments from the floor on views of “Animal Welfare” • Public perception, and from producer base who understand the commercial implications of high investment • Cost and tradition Versus Science and elevation of public perception

11. Regulations • I feel Australia is closer to Europe than Nth. America on welfare regulation • Europe has the highest welfare regulations, it is in your face regularly • Gov’t regulates for a variety of reasons including food safety, animal welfare, interests of wider economy such as environment and society, also for international trade • Votes • Policy is initiated through the EU

12. Animal Welfare • The welfare of pigs is considered within a framework that was developed by the Farm Animal Welfare Council and known as the “Five Freedoms” • Animal Welfare will be contradictory • Studies have shown moving towards higher welfare will decrease production increase level of management & COP • It is important of those investing understand their marketing options and management capabilities.

13. Five Freedoms • Freedom from hunger and thirst – by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor. • Freedom from discomfort – by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area. • Freedom from pain injury or disease – by prevention or by rapid diagnosis and treatment. • Freedom to express most normal behaviour – by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animals’ own kind. • Freedom from fear and distress – by ensuring conditions and treatment to avoid mental suffering

14. The American/Traditional Way

15. CAFETERIA

16. OUTDOOR

17. Numbers of Alternative Housing Systems HOUSING STALLS OUTDOOR INDOOR GROUP GROUPS SMALL LARGE DYNAMIC STABLE TIMING PRE-IMPLANT POST IMPLANT FEEDING CAFETERIA GROUP/FLOOR FEEDING INDIVIDUAL ELECTRONIC TRICKLE = 72

18. Evaluating Options Based on Five Freedoms

19. RECOMENDATIONS CAPTURING ALL 5 FREEDOMS • Any indoor intensive high welfare production systems will have compromises. • This system is high capital cost and very high level of management both husbandry and technical

20. GROUP HOUSED ESF • Indoor housed sows • Large groups either dynamic or stable with a minimum of 50-60 group • Mating stall post weaning until 2 days after mating. Approximately 7-8 days • Introduced into group pre implantation and will remain until 1 week prior farrowing • Individually fed by transponder feed stations

21. Separation- and training area Dynamic Group Design

22. Large Dynamic ESF

23. Disease Management • Health and Welfare • Biosecurity, Disease Control and COP • Housing type and design • Group Size • Location • Modification of existing units • Eradication and management of specific diseases • Genetics • Management of the production unit

24. PMWS

25. PMWS • Diagnosed in most producing countries • UK post weaning losses averaged around 20% up to 70% generally not as severely effected in other countries • PCV2 virus but other factors are involved in the development of the disease. • Important for Australia as we are free, trade implications • Madec 20 point plan

26. Business Partners • Producer Alliances • Producer Processing Retail Alliances • Producer Integration • Sharing capital cost • Defining and sharing strategic roles within the production chain

27. Trial With Pigs and Dominance Hierarchies J. Alcohol Abuse 1987 45: 56-67 • Pigs in social groups of 10 dominance orders established • All pigs given Ad Libitum Alcohol (Beer / Cider / Wine) • Observations on intakes Results • Days 1 and 2 - All pigs drank heavily, got drunk and slept soundly • Day 2 onwards • Pigs 1 & 2 - never touched alcohol again – needed a clear head to preserve their position in the hierarchy • Pigs 3 – 8 were moderate drinkers – occasionally drank at times of stress! • Pigs 9 & 10 – remained heavy consumers and were mostly permanently drunk throughout the trial