taildocking
New Member
Hello 
I have a question about tail docking legislation.
I feel my previous college farm has dubious tail docking practices. Basically, everything I read about routine tail docking in the UK states it is illegal, yet they routinely tail dock every piglet they have.
For dissertations, students are not allowed to interrupt this tail docking process. You are not allowed to have piglets with tails and improve enrichment (which is actually stated by legislation, see below); they have already tail docked them all. Is that not routine tail docking?
Tail docking is permitted when evidence of injury to sow's teats or other pigs' ears or tails have occurred. Does this mean every piglet has damaged ears and tails? Well, no.
The following shows why routine tail docking should not be allowed and the fact it IS illegal should be enforced, should it not?
Following tail docking, piglets performed tail wagging, jamming, vocalisation (Noonan et al., 1994) and posterior scooting (dragging back end along ground) (Sutherland et al., 2008). These behaviours along with a rise in cortisol, which took 45 and 90 minutes to cease and return to normal, respectively (Sutherland et al., 2008), indicate acute and transient pain associated with the procedure. Nerve structure and neuroma formation indicate the longer term effects of the procedure. Peripheral nerves were traced to the tip of day old piglets and fattening pigs with the nerve structure indicating entire pigtail sensitivity (Simonsen et al., 1991). Docked tails had an uneven distribution of peripheral nerves with some regressive changes and in some cases traumatic neuromas (Simonsen et al., 1991), indicating sensitivity to pain and chronic discomfort due to tail docking.
http://www.compassioninfoodbusiness...12/04/Info-5-Tail-docking-and-tail-biting.pdf
Tail Docking
DEFRA
Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2003
The (S.I. 2003 No. 299), Schedule 6, Part II, paragraphs 21 and 23 (1) state that:
21.The following procedure shall not be carried out routinely but only where there is evidence that injuries to sows’ teats or to other pigs’ ears or tails have occurred:
- docking of a part of the tail; but no tail docking may be carried out unless other measures to improve environmental conditions or management systems have been taken in order to prevent tail biting or other vices.
23.(1) If docking of tails is carried out after the seventh day of life it shall only be performed
under anaesthetic and additional prolonged analgesia by a veterinary surgeon.
83. Tail biting and other vices, such as ear and flank biting, are associated with some form of stress. They can be triggered by a wide range or combination of factors, including: overstocking, feed deficiencies, incorrect temperature levels, fluctuating temperature levels, inadequate ventilation, draughts, high levels of dust and noxious gases (i.e. ammonia) and lack of environmental enrichment. Sometimes changes in external weather conditions can also trigger an outbreak.
84. If tail biting does occur, it can spread quickly through the pen and the degree of injury increases very quickly. You should ensure that affected pigs are removed to a hospital pen and treated without delay. If possible, you should try to identify the instigator and remove the animal to a separate pen.
85. Routine tail docking is not permitted. Tail docking should only be used as a last resort, after improvements to the pigs environment and management have proved ineffectual. Where it is necessary to tail dock, it must be carried out in accordance with the law by a competent, trained operator before the seventh day of life, or by a veterinary surgeon. All equipment used must be cleaned and disinfected between pigs.
86. As part of your herd health and welfare plan (see paragraphs 8 and 22), you should have a strategy for dealing with outbreaks of vice such as tail biting. Although much has been learnt from research and practical on-farm experience, it is not possible to produce a definitive solution suitable for all cases. A thorough assessment and planned approach is therefore recommended to identify the particular cause of an outbreak on the unit and to find the appropriate solution to the problem.
• Quantify the problem
- note the position of pens and numbers of pigs affected, check records of previous incidents.
• List possible causes
- such as interruption or inadequate supply of feed or water, lack of environmental enrichment, inadequate ventilation, draughts, incorrect temperature levels, overstocking, competition at feeding, excessive light levels, elevated dust/noxious gas levels. Different causes may be found in different pens on the same unit.
• Modify health and welfare plan
- having identified areas for improvement, in consultation with the herd’s veterinary surgeon and other technical advisers, modify your health and welfare plan to implement the necessary changes with a view to preventing future outbreaks of tail biting.
I have a question about tail docking legislation.
I feel my previous college farm has dubious tail docking practices. Basically, everything I read about routine tail docking in the UK states it is illegal, yet they routinely tail dock every piglet they have.
For dissertations, students are not allowed to interrupt this tail docking process. You are not allowed to have piglets with tails and improve enrichment (which is actually stated by legislation, see below); they have already tail docked them all. Is that not routine tail docking?
Tail docking is permitted when evidence of injury to sow's teats or other pigs' ears or tails have occurred. Does this mean every piglet has damaged ears and tails? Well, no.
The following shows why routine tail docking should not be allowed and the fact it IS illegal should be enforced, should it not?
Following tail docking, piglets performed tail wagging, jamming, vocalisation (Noonan et al., 1994) and posterior scooting (dragging back end along ground) (Sutherland et al., 2008). These behaviours along with a rise in cortisol, which took 45 and 90 minutes to cease and return to normal, respectively (Sutherland et al., 2008), indicate acute and transient pain associated with the procedure. Nerve structure and neuroma formation indicate the longer term effects of the procedure. Peripheral nerves were traced to the tip of day old piglets and fattening pigs with the nerve structure indicating entire pigtail sensitivity (Simonsen et al., 1991). Docked tails had an uneven distribution of peripheral nerves with some regressive changes and in some cases traumatic neuromas (Simonsen et al., 1991), indicating sensitivity to pain and chronic discomfort due to tail docking.
http://www.compassioninfoodbusiness...12/04/Info-5-Tail-docking-and-tail-biting.pdf
Tail Docking
DEFRA
Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2003
The (S.I. 2003 No. 299), Schedule 6, Part II, paragraphs 21 and 23 (1) state that:
21.The following procedure shall not be carried out routinely but only where there is evidence that injuries to sows’ teats or to other pigs’ ears or tails have occurred:
- docking of a part of the tail; but no tail docking may be carried out unless other measures to improve environmental conditions or management systems have been taken in order to prevent tail biting or other vices.
23.(1) If docking of tails is carried out after the seventh day of life it shall only be performed
under anaesthetic and additional prolonged analgesia by a veterinary surgeon.
83. Tail biting and other vices, such as ear and flank biting, are associated with some form of stress. They can be triggered by a wide range or combination of factors, including: overstocking, feed deficiencies, incorrect temperature levels, fluctuating temperature levels, inadequate ventilation, draughts, high levels of dust and noxious gases (i.e. ammonia) and lack of environmental enrichment. Sometimes changes in external weather conditions can also trigger an outbreak.
84. If tail biting does occur, it can spread quickly through the pen and the degree of injury increases very quickly. You should ensure that affected pigs are removed to a hospital pen and treated without delay. If possible, you should try to identify the instigator and remove the animal to a separate pen.
85. Routine tail docking is not permitted. Tail docking should only be used as a last resort, after improvements to the pigs environment and management have proved ineffectual. Where it is necessary to tail dock, it must be carried out in accordance with the law by a competent, trained operator before the seventh day of life, or by a veterinary surgeon. All equipment used must be cleaned and disinfected between pigs.
86. As part of your herd health and welfare plan (see paragraphs 8 and 22), you should have a strategy for dealing with outbreaks of vice such as tail biting. Although much has been learnt from research and practical on-farm experience, it is not possible to produce a definitive solution suitable for all cases. A thorough assessment and planned approach is therefore recommended to identify the particular cause of an outbreak on the unit and to find the appropriate solution to the problem.
• Quantify the problem
- note the position of pens and numbers of pigs affected, check records of previous incidents.
• List possible causes
- such as interruption or inadequate supply of feed or water, lack of environmental enrichment, inadequate ventilation, draughts, incorrect temperature levels, overstocking, competition at feeding, excessive light levels, elevated dust/noxious gas levels. Different causes may be found in different pens on the same unit.
• Modify health and welfare plan
- having identified areas for improvement, in consultation with the herd’s veterinary surgeon and other technical advisers, modify your health and welfare plan to implement the necessary changes with a view to preventing future outbreaks of tail biting.
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