Welfare indicators
Dossier: Arrival and lairage management
Indicators to monitor pig welfare related to arrival and lairage management.
The pigs’ physiological and behavioural needs are described under “Knowledge”. Based on these needs, three key areas challenging welfare of pigs arriving and being handled at the slaughterhouse are identified:
- Arrivals at the slaughterhouse
- Handling and moving pigs in lairage
- Lairage and comfort around resting
For these key areas, indicators are suggested to identify and manage animal welfare problems, and support the evaluation of compliance with the legal frameworks of Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 and 1/2005 that regulate the legal requirements related to arrival and lairage management.
An overview of indicator factsheets for this topic can be found on the "Indicator factsheets" webpage.
Arrivals
Relevant welfare indicators at arrival and during unloading:
- Huddling, shivering and panting: Huddling (lying on top of pig(s)) and shivering (vibration of body) are a sign of cold stress; panting (high-frequent, open-mouth breathing) indicates heat stress.
- Fatigued and dead pigs: Fatigue is a sign of acute stress that results from exhaustion, and animals are unable to get up or move. Pigs may also be dead on arrival or die after unloading.
- Lameness: When lame, a pig is unable to use one or more limbs in a normal manner.
- High pitch vocalisation: Vocalisation by squeal-grunts/high pitch screams indicates fear, pain or distress.
- Slipping and falling: Slipping and falling are indicators for slippery floors, rough handling or steep ramps.
Relevant links
- Huddling, shivering and panting: indicators of thermal stress at slaughter, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- Fatigued and dead pigs: indicators of acute stress and poor condition of pigs during transport and at slaughter, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- Lameness: indicator of pigs` decreased ability to walk at slaughter, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- High pitch vocalisation: indicator of fear, pain or distress at slaughter, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- Slipping and falling: indicators for slippery floors, rough handling or steep ramps, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- Establishing trailer ventilation (boarding) requirements for finishing pigs during transport, McGlone et al., Animals, 4(3), pp. 515–523, 2014
- Transport of pigs, Lambooij, In: Grandin, T. (Ed.) Livestock Handling and Transport, pp. 280–297, 2014
Handling and moving pigs in lairage
Welfare indicators related to handling and moving pigs in lairage:
- Lameness: When lame, a pig is unable to use one or more limbs in a normal manner.
- High pitch vocalisation: Vocalisation by squeal-grunts/high pitch screams indicates fear, pain or distress.
- Slipping and falling: Slipping and falling are indicators for slippery floors, rough handling or steep ramps.
- Turning back and reluctance to move: Turning back and walk to or onto the truck, and reluctance to move forwards are indicators of fear and distress.
- Skin lesions: Lesions include broken skin, fresh (i.e. bleeding) wounds and healing lesions. Skin lesions can result from fighting in pens or pre-slaughter handling.
Relevant links
- Lameness: indicator of pigs` decreased ability to walk at slaughter, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- High pitch vocalisation: indicator of fear, pain or distress at slaughter, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- Slipping and falling: indicators for slippery floors, rough handling or steep ramps, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- Turning back and reluctance to move: indicators of fear and distress at pre-slaughter handling, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- Skin lesions: indicator for fighting or rough handling at slaughter, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- The relationship between selected physiological post-mortem measures and an overall pig welfare assessment from farm to slaughter, Brandt et al., Livestock science 180, pp. 194-202, 2015
- Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines and Audit Guide: A systematic Approach to Animal welfare, Grandin, North American Meat Institute, 2019
- Pig vision and management/handling, Dalmau et al., Pig333.com, 2009
- Vocal Quality is Correlated with Levels of Stress Hormones in Domestic Pigs, Schrader and Todt, Ethology 104, pp. 859 – 876, 1998
Lairage and comfort around resting
In lairage pens, important animal-based or resourced based welfare indicators include:
- Huddling, shivering and panting: Huddling (lying on top of pig(s)) and shivering (vibration of body) are a sign of cold stress; panting (high-frequent, open-mouth breathing) indicates heat stress.
- Fatigued and dead pigs: Fatigue is a sign of acute stress that results from exhaustion, and animals are unable to get up or move. Pigs may also be dead on arrival or die after unloading.
- Skin lesions: Lesions include broken skin, fresh (i.e. bleeding) wounds and healing lesions. Skin lesions can result from fighting in pens or pre-slaughter handling.
- Access to water and food: All pigs in lairage pens should have access to water in sufficient quantity and of good quality. After a maximum of 12 hours in lairage pen pigs must have access to food.
- Space allowance: The combination of insufficient space to lie down and high ambient temperatures is a risk factor for hyperthermia and can lead to circulatory problems and death.
- High pitch vocalisation: Vocalisation by squeal-grunts/high pitch screams indicates fear, pain or distress.
Relevant links
- Huddling, shivering and panting: indicators of thermal stress at slaughter, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- Fatigued and dead pigs: indicators of acute stress and poor condition of pigs during transport and at slaughter, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- Skin lesions: indicator for fighting or rough handling at slaughter, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- Access to water and food: indicators to assess the risks for thirst and hunger at slaughter, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- Space allowance: indicator to assess the risks for improper resting behaviour and thermal comfort, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- High pitch vocalisation: indicator of fear, pain or distress at slaughter, indicator factsheet EURCAW-Pigs, 2020
- Tierschutzüberwachung bei der Schlachtung und Tötung, Handbuch, 2020
- Assessment and incidence of skin damage in slaughter pigs, Aaslyng et al., 59th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, 2013
- Lying characteristics as determinants for space requirements in pigs, Ekkel et al., Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 80, pp. 19-30, 2003