Pig farming: production, infection control and welfare

Pig farming is one of the major production branches in Danish agriculture and export, and operations are often organised into clearly separated stages where different farms specialise in each stage of the pig's life. At the same time, the pig industry is particularly vulnerable to serious, contagious livestock diseases, where infection control is a common and ongoing task for the entire industry.

• 01Sow herd — sows are inseminated, farrow (give birth) and care for piglets until they are weaned.
• 02Piglet production — weaned piglets grow further, often on another farm, until they are ready for the fattening pig shed.
• 03Pig fattening production — pigs are fed to slaughter weight under continuous monitoring of growth, health and feed consumption.
• 04Integrated production – individual farms cover several or all steps under one roof.

African swine fever (ASF) is a serious viral disease that is harmless to humans, but deadly to pigs and wild boar, and for which there is no approved vaccine. An outbreak in Denmark would have very serious consequences for Danish pig production and exports, and therefore prevention is a shared task for everyone involved with pigs — including those who simply visit a farm.

• 01Access restriction and hygiene airlocks, so visitors change clothes and footwear before contact with pigs.
• 02Full ban throughout the EU on feeding pigs and wild boar with kitchen and food waste, since remains of infected meat are a known transmission route.
• 03Cleaning and disinfection of vehicles, tools and equipment that have been in contact with other herds.
• 04Fences and other measures that limit contact between wild boar and Danish pig farms, including wild boar fences at the border.

Tail biting among pigs is a welfare problem that has historically been dealt with by routinely docking (cutting) pigs' tails. The rules in the area have been tightened: routine tail docking is not allowed, and the procedure may only be performed when it can be documented that other measures have not been sufficient to prevent tail biting. This requires that the herd first try improved environment and behavior enrichment.

• 01Pigs must have access to enrichment material they can explore, bite and root in.
• 02The stable environment – space, climate, and layout – must support natural behaviour and reduce stress.
• 03Tail docking may only occur when other preventive measures have been tried and documented as insufficient.
• 04Tail biting and other welfare problems must be registered so that efforts can be followed over time.

Daily operations require systematic supervision of feed, water, climate and animal behaviour in each production department. Signs of tail-biting, respiratory problems or reduced welfare must be detected early, both for animal welfare reasons and because disease can spread quickly in a densely packed herd. Those working with pigs therefore combine production expertise with a vigilant eye for both health and infection control every single day.

“Infection control is not something you do when the risk is high — it is a fixed routine you never relax on.”

— Professional guidance on pig health