Strategies for Improving and Enhancing Animal Welfare in Pig Farms

With growing global attention to animal welfare, China’s pig farming industry has begun to pay more or less attention to swine welfare while pursuing economic benefits. As intensive and large-scale pig farming continues to expand and account for an ever-larger share of the domestic market, some small-scale backyard pig farms are inevitably being phased out. Meanwhile, stricter requirements for animal welfare are being enforced across pig production operations. This paper discusses feasible approaches for intensive pig farms in China to upgrade and boost swine animal welfare at the current stage.

Improvement of Rearing Environments

Modern pig farms built with investment from major livestock groups are equipped with advanced facilities. Fully slatted flooring is adopted to keep barns clean and hygienic; fully automatic temperature control and ventilation systems maintain optimal ambient temperatures and reduce concentrations of harmful gases inside barns. Automated feeding lines minimize human operational errors, and multi-site farm layouts facilitate disease prevention and control. High-level automation effectively cuts down human error and the risk of exogenous pathogen transmission.

Optimized Feed Formulation and Improved Drinking Water Quality

Customized feed formulas are developed for different pig breeds and production stages, instead of merely prioritizing production performance. Current feed formulas feature reduced crude protein levels and higher crude fiber content to align with pigs’ natural physiological needs. In terms of drinking water, regular water quality testing is conducted to assess mineral content, pathogenic microorganisms and other water quality indicators, bringing pig drinking water up to standards comparable to human drinking water. Barns are fitted with additional water drinkers and spray lines; warm drinking water is provided for piglets. Residual feed and wastewater in feed troughs are cleared promptly to maximize pig welfare.

Satisfying Pigs’ Psychological Needs

Existing barn space is utilized to supply enrichment items such as chain balls, empty feed sacks and dedicated pig toys. These enrichment tools improve pigs’ psychological wellbeing and reduce skin injuries caused by fighting. Some farms have installed audio systems to play music during rest periods and create a more comfortable living environment for pigs.

Boosting Behavioral Welfare of Pigs

Following the promotion of antibiotic-free food standards in Europe and the United States, rapid economic growth and rising social civilization have raised public awareness of animal welfare in China. Nevertheless, animal welfare development in the domestic pig sector is still in its infancy, with a long path ahead. While advancing economic growth, it is critical to raise public recognition of animal welfare.

China’s pig farming industry has achieved remarkable progress in recent years. Noticeable improvements have been made across multiple welfare dimensions: physiological welfare including feeding and drinking, environmental and sanitary welfare via barn renovation and upgrading, as well as psychological and behavioral welfare covering live pig transportation, tooth clipping and tail docking procedures. However, pig farming enterprises rely on profits to sustain operations. Therefore, a balanced tradeoff between production profitability and animal welfare must be struck to fully embed animal welfare standards into the pig farming sector and drive the high-quality development of the industry.