Legislation
Dossier: Group-housing and mixing of sows
The legal requirements related to group-housing and mixing of sows can be found in Council Directives 98/58/EC on the protection of animals kept for farming purposes, and 2008/120/EC on minimum standards for the protection of pigs.
The requirements are structured around four focus areas for inspections:
- Mixing of unfamiliar animals
- Competition for resources
- Restrictive feeding
- Climatic and resting comfort
Listed below are requirements citing the literal text of the directives without being comprehensive. Moreover, there might be stricter national legislation in place. The review of group-housing and mixing of sows describes the requirements in more detail.
Mixing of unfamiliar animals
Council Directive 2008/120/EC
“Measures shall be taken to minimise aggression in groups.” {Annex I, Chapter II, point B1}
“Member States shall ensure that pigs that have to be kept in groups, that are particularly aggressive, that have been attacked by other pigs or that are sick or injured may temporarily be kept in individual pens. In this case the individual pen used shall allow the animal to turn around easily if this is not in contradiction with specific veterinary advice.” {Article 3(8)}
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“the total unobstructed floor area available to each gilt after service and to each sow when gilts and/or sows are kept in groups must be at least 1.64 m² and 2.25 m² respectively. When these animals are kept in groups of fewer than six individuals the unobstructed floor area must be increased by 10 %. When these animals are kept in groups of 40 or more individuals the unobstructed floor area may be decreased by 10 %.” {Article 3 (1b)}
“(...). The pen where the group is kept must have sides greater than 2.8 m in length. When fewer than six individuals are kept in a group the pen where the group is kept must have sides greater than 2.4 m in length”. {Article 3(4)}
Competition for resources
Council Directive 2008/120/EC
“All pigs must be fed at least once a day. Where pigs are fed in groups and not ad libitum or by an automatic system feeding the animals individually, each pig must have access to the food at the same time as the others in the group.” {Annex I, Chapter I, point 6}
“Member states shall ensure that sows and gilts kept in groups are fed using a system which ensures that each individual can obtain sufficient food even when competitors for the food are present.” {Article 3(6)}
“All pigs over two weeks of age must have permanent access to a sufficient quantity of fresh water.” {Annex I, Chapter I, Point 7}
Restrictive feeding
Council Directive 2008/120/EC
“Member states shall ensure that all dry pregnant sows and gilts, in order to satisfy their hunger and given the need to chew, are given a sufficient quantity of bulky or high-fibre food as well as high-energy food” {Article 3(7)}
“Member states shall ensure that, without prejudice to the requirements laid down in Annex I, sows and gilts have permanent access to manipulative material at least complying with the relevant requirements of that Annex.” {Article 3(5)}
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“Notwithstanding Article 3(5), pigs must have permanent access to a sufficient quantity of material to enable proper investigation and manipulation activities, such as straw, hay, wood, sawdust, mushroom compost, peat or a mixture of such, which does not compromise the health of the animals.” {Annex I, Chapter I, point 4}
Climatic and resting comfort
Council Directive 2008/120/EC
Pigs must “(...) - have access to a lying area physically and thermally comfortable as well as adequately drained and clean which allows all the animals to lie at the same time, - rest and get up normally, (...).” {Annex I, Chapter I, point 3}
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“Floors must be smooth but not slippery so as to prevent injury to the pigs and (...) not to cause injury or suffering to pigs. They must be suitable for the size and weight of the pigs, and if no litter is provided, form a rigid, even and stable surface.” {Annex I, Chapter I, point 5}
Council Directive 98/58/EC
In buildings “Air circulation, dust levels, temperature, relative air humidity and gas concentrations must be kept within limits which are not harmful to the animals.” {Annex point 10}