Objective: In this feasibility study, weaning and fattening pigs with undocked and docked tails were kept simultaneously on four conventionally producing farms in Lower Saxony, Germany. It was the aim of the study to test management recommendations to avoid and reduce tail biting under practical conditions.
Material and methods: Before stocking, the farm-specific risk factors for tail biting had been analyzed and, if possible, reduced. Furthermore, on every farm, individual preventive measures, for example, additional pen enrichments and feed additives had been adopted. The farmers had been trained in animal observation, recognition of tail biting prior to outbreaks and measures to be taken when tail biting occurred. The tails of the pigs were examined daily by the farmer and every second week by the first author. Additionally, carcass characteristics were documented and analyzed.
Results: Tail biting was observed in every batch on every farm during the rearing period. Combining data from all the farms, a mean of 53.5% of pigs with undocked tails could enter the fattening period without tail lesions. At the end of fattening, only 24.2% of the undocked slaughter pigs had intact tails. Additionally, in the group with undocked tails, mortality was significantly increased (p = 0.0104) in comparison with the control group and abscesses were detected significantly more frequently in carcasses of undocked pigs (p < 0.0001).
Conclusion: As a consequence of these results, a transition period of several years is recommended to give farmers the opportunity to learn step by step how to maintain animals with undocked tails and to prevent animal suffering due to tail biting.
Keywords: Tail biting; caudophagia; fattening; nursery.