The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000

Regulations 2(3) and 8

SCHEDULE 6E+W ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS THAT APPLY TO THE KEEPING OF PIGS

PART IE+W INTERPRETATION

1.  In this Schedule—E+W

• “boar" means a male pig after puberty, intended for breeding;

• “gilt" means a female pig intended for breeding after puberty and before farrowing;

• “piglet" means a pig from birth to weaning;

• “rearing pig" means a pig from ten weeks to slaughter or service;

• “sow" means a female pig after the first farrowing; and

• “weaner" means a pig from weaning to the age of ten weeks.

PART IIE+W GENERAL ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS

InspectionE+W

2.  All pigs shall be inspected by the owner or keeper of the pigs at least once a day to check that they are in a state of well being.

3.  Where necessary, sick or injured pigs shall be isolated in suitable accommodation with dry comfortable bedding.E+W

TetheringE+W

4.  No person shall tether or cause to be tethered any pig except while it is undergoing any examination, test, treatment or operation carried out for any veterinary purpose.

5.—(1) Where the use of tethers is permitted in accordance with paragraph 4, they shall not cause injury to the pigs and shall be inspected regularly and adjusted as necessary to ensure a comfortable fit.E+W

(2) Each tether shall be of sufficient length to allow the pigs to move as stipulated in paragraph 6(2) below and the design shall be such as to avoid, as far as possible, any risk of strangulation, pain or injury.

AccommodationE+W

6.—(1) A pig shall be free to turn round without difficulty at all times.

(2) The accommodation used for pigs shall be constructed in such a way as to allow each pig to—

(a)stand up, lie down and rest without difficulty;

(b)have a clean place in which it can rest; and

(c)see other pigs, unless the pig is isolated for veterinary reasons.

7.—(1) The dimension of any stall or pen shall be such that the internal area is not less than the square of the length of the pig, and no internal side is less than 75% of the length of the pig, the length of the pig in each case being measured from the tip of its snout to the base of its tail while it is standing with its back straight.E+W

(2) This paragraph shall not apply in relation to a female pig for the period between seven days before the predicted day of her farrowing and the day on which the weaning of her piglets (including any piglets fostered by her) is complete.

(3) A person shall not be guilty of an offence in accordance with regulation 13(1) of contravening or failing to comply with this paragraph by reason of the keeping of a pig in a stall or pen—

(a)while it is undergoing any examination, test, treatment or operation carried out for veterinary purposes;

(b)for the purposes of service, artificial insemination or collection of semen;

(c)while it is fed on any particular occasion;

(d)for the purposes of marking, washing or weighing it;

(e)while its accommodation is being cleaned; or

(f)while it is awaiting loading for transportation,

provided that the period during which it is so kept is not longer than necessary for that purpose.

(4) A person shall not be guilty of an offence in accordance with regulation 13(1) of contravening or failing to comply with this paragraph by reason of the keeping of a pig in a stall or pen which the pig can enter or leave at will, provided that the stall or pen is entered from a stall or pen in which the pig is kept without contravention of this paragraph.

Artificially lit buildingsE+W

8.  Where pigs are kept in an artificially lit building then, subject to paragraphs 14 and 16 of Schedule 1, artificial lighting shall be provided for a period at least equivalent to the period of natural light normally available between 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m.

Prevention of fightingE+W

9.—(1) If pigs are kept together, measures shall be taken to prevent fighting which goes beyond normal behaviour.

(2) Pigs which show persistent aggression towards others or are victims of such aggression shall be isolated or kept separate from the group.

Cleaning and disinfectionE+W

10.—(1) Housing, pens, equipment and utensils used for pigs must be properly cleaned and disinfected as necessary to prevent cross-infection and the build-up of disease-carrying organisms.

(2) Faeces, urine and uneaten or spilt food must be removed as often as necessary to minimise smell and avoid attracting flies or rodents.

Lying areaE+W

11.—(1) Where pigs are kept in a building they shall be kept on, or have access at all times to, a lying area which is clean, comfortable and does not adversely affect them, and either has well-maintained dry bedding or is well-drained.

(2) Where bedding is provided, this must be clean, dry and not harmful to the pigs.

FloorsE+W

12.  Where pigs are kept in a building, floors shall—

(a)be smooth but not slippery so as to prevent injury to the pigs;

(b)be so designed as not to cause injury or suffering to pigs standing or lying on them;

(c)be suitable for the size and weight of the pigs; and

(d)form a rigid, even and stable surface.

FeedingE+W

13.—(1) All pigs must be fed at least once a day.

(2) Where pigs are housed in a group and do not have continuous access to feed, or are not fed by an automatic feeding system, each pig must have access to the food at the same time as the others in the feeding group.

Drinking waterE+W

14.  All pigs shall be provided with an adequate supply of fresh drinking water each day.

Environmental enrichmentE+W

15.  In addition to the measures normally taken to prevent tail-biting and other vices and in order to enable them to satisfy their behavioural needs, all pigs, taking into account environment and stocking density, shall have access to straw or other material or object suitable to satisfy those needs.

Prohibition on the use of the sweat-box systemE+W

16.  Pigs shall not be kept in an environment which involves maintaining high temperatures and high humidity (known as the “sweat-box system").

PART IIIE+W BOARS

17.  Boar pens shall be sited and constructed so as to allow the boar to turn round and to hear, see and smell other pigs, and shall contain clean resting areas.E+W

18.  The lying area shall be dry and comfortable.E+W

19.  The minimum pen size for an adult boar shall be six square metres, except that a larger area shall be provided when pens are used for service.E+W

PART IVE+W SOWS AND GILTS

20.  Gilts and sows between weaning their piglets and the perinatal period shall, where necessary, be treated against external and internal parasites.E+W

21.  If they are placed in farrowing crates, pregnant sows and gilts shall be thoroughly clean.E+W

22.  Gilts and sows between weaning their piglets and the perinatal period shall be provided with a clean, adequately drained, comfortable lying area and shall, if necessary, be given suitable nesting material.E+W

23.  During farrowing, an unobstructed area behind the sow or gilt shall be available for the ease of natural or assisted farrowing.E+W

24.  Farrowing pens where sows are kept loose must have some means of protecting the piglets, such as farrowing rails.E+W

PART VE+W PIGLETS

25.  If necessary, piglets shall be provided with a source of heat and a solid, dry and comfortable lying area away from the sow where all of them can rest at the same time.E+W

26.  Where a farrowing crate is used, the piglets shall have sufficient space to enable them to suckle without difficulty.E+W

27.  Neither tail docking nor tooth clipping shall be carried out routinely but only when there is evidence, on the farm, that injuries to sows’ teats or to other pigs’ ears or tails have occurred as a result of not carrying out these procedures.E+W

28.  Where tooth clipping appears necessary, this shall only be carried out within seven days of birth.E+W

29.  Piglets shall not be weaned from the sow at an age of less than three weeks unless the welfare or health of the dam or piglets would otherwise be adversely affected.E+W

PART VIE+W WEANERS AND REARING PIGS

30.  Pigs shall be placed in groups as soon as possible after weaning. They shall be kept in stable groups with as little mixing as possible.E+W

31.  The unobstructed floor area available to each weaner or rearing pig reared in a group shall be at least—E+W

(a)0.15 square metres for each pig where the average weight of the pigs in the group is 10 kg or less;

(b)0.20 square metres for each pig where the average weight of the pigs in the group is more than 10 kg but less than or equal to 20 kg;

(c)0.30 square metres for each pig where the average weight of the pigs in the group is more than 20 kg but less than or equal to 30 kg;

(d)0.40 square metres for each pig where the average weight of the pigs in the group is more than 30 kg but less than or equal to 50 kg;

(e)0.55 square metres for each pig where the average weight of the pigs in the group is more than 50 kg but less than or equal to 85 kg;

(f)0.65 square metres for each pig where the average weight of the pigs in the group is more than 85 kg but less than or equal to 110 kg; and

(g)1.00 square metre for each pig where the average weight of the pigs in the group is more than 110 kg.