Expert opinion on metal chains and other indestructible objects as proper enrichment for intensively-farmed pigs.

ABSTRACT: EC Directive 2001/93 requires that all pigs have access to proper investigation and manipulation materials. Intensively farmed pigs in Europe are frequently provided with a short metal chain with or without an indestructible object attached to the chain. To date authorities are regarding this as proper enrichment, perhaps with (in)direct reference to the RICHPIG model as a justification. However, it has become increasingly clear that the chains do not provide proper enrichment, and that adding an indestructible object to the end of the chain may even reduce rather than improve pig welfare. To test this hypothesis an expert survey was conducted containing 26 more or less compound questions. On a scale from 0 to 10 experts specified their level of agreement with the hypothesis, the prevalenc

SUBMITTER: Bracke MBM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6386313 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature