- Christoph Becker, farmer (Animal Welfare Pilot Farm)
- Dr. Veronika Drexl, SchweineSpezialBeratung Schleswig-Holstein e.V.
- Carmen Fögeling, North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture
- Svenja Opderbeck, University of Hohenheim
- Wilhelm Schulte-Remmert, farmer (Animal Welfare Pilot Farm)
- Christoph Selhorst, farmer
- Dr. Manfred Weber, State Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture of Saxony-Anhalt
- Rudolf Wiedmann, independent consultant
- Dr. Sabine Schütze, North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture
- Laura Schönberg, North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture
- Sandra Terletzki, North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture
Funding note:
This document was produced as part of the collaborative project ‘Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl’, funding codes 28N-4-013-01 to 28N-4-013-17, by the ‘Pen Structure’ working group of the Centre of Excellence for Pig Welfare and methodologically and didactically adapted by DLG e.V. and FiBL
Deutschland e.V. The joint project of the Chambers of Agriculture and agricultural institutions across all federal states aims to improve the transfer of knowledge into practice in order to make cattle, pig and poultry farms fit for the future in terms of animal-welfare-friendly, environmentally sound and sustainable livestock farming.
The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture pursuant to a resolution of the German Bundestag.
All information and advice is provided without any warranty or liability.
Publisher
DLG e.V. Agricultural
Centre
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60489 Frankfurt am Main
FiBL Deutschland e.V. Animal Welfare
Division
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60486 Frankfurt am Main
As of: 01/2023
© 2023
Reproduction and transmission of individual text sections, drawings or images (including for the purpose of lesson planning), as well as the provision of the information sheet in whole or in part for viewing or download by third parties, is permitted only with the prior approval of the relevant department of the Animal Welfare Competence Centre and DLG e.V., Marketing Division, Tel. +49 69 24788-209, [email protected]
Introduction
Pigs are highly social animals whose group life is governed by the establishment of a fixed hierarchy. This hierarchy is determined through aggressive behaviour in the first few days after a group is formed, which generally reduces further conflicts to a minimum.1 Although pigs usually interact amicably with one another, conflicts—particularly over food—cannot be entirely avoided, with lower-ranking animals tending to avoid those higher up the hierarchy.
To ensure that lower-ranking animals can also satisfy their needs and engage in all behaviours as undisturbed as possible, opportunities for avoidance and retreat are required.1 If pigs’ behaviours are restricted due to housing conditions, this causes stress and discomfort for the animals, which can lead to behavioural problems such as tail-biting.
With the help of a good pen layout, functional areas can be separated and the pigs’ behaviour can be managed. A prerequisite for this is that the animals’ needs and natural behaviour are the focus, and that sufficient space is available in the pen for each functional aspect of behaviour – namely resting, comfort, exploration, defecation, and feeding and drinking behaviour. It is important to note that pigs act as a group and always want to lie down or occupy themselves together. To meet the needs of all pigs in a pen, the following aspects should be taken into account:
- a sufficiently large lying and resting area with suitable flooring and free from through-traffic
- where possible, a feeding area for each pig with feed available ad libitum
- open drinking troughs, so that water can be taken in by sucking and lapping with the head lowered
- an activity area with access to enrichment materials
- a dunging area with a non-slip surface, separate from the activity area and as far away as possible from the lying area
- Different climate zones in the lying, activity and/or dunging areas, as well as opportunities for thermoregulation to satisfy individual needs for warmth or cooling
The best way to determine whether the pen layout works for the animals is to observe the animals themselves: Are they heavily soiled? Where and how are they lying in the pen? Continuous animal observation and a prudent, step-by-step response to animal behaviour are key factors for success in pen design.
The ‘Pen Layout’ working group provides advice on new builds and conversions.