Defining and ensuring animal welfare in pig production: an overview

Abstract

Raising pigs for consumption involves the exercise of control over the quality and duration of their lives, and it is widely accepted that there is a duty to exercise this control humanely. This chapter begins by reviewing three conceptual frameworks which can be used to consider and assess animal welfare, and discusses the development of public opinion on the subject. It then concentrates on common welfare concerns raised by pig production practices, including those related to housing, stereotypies, injuries and surgical husbandry procedures. The chapter concludes by considering opportunities to safeguard pig welfare.