Pig welfare
SAPPO Training
Course
South African Welfare Code
The South African Welfare Code provides
guidelines on how pigs should be treated
Pigs should be:
– Free from thirst, hunger, pain, injury, disease, fear
and distress
– Able to express the normal behaviour for pigs
The Code is obtainable from the SAPPO
offices: Tel. 012 361 3920
Why welfare is important
Treating animals well is an expression of our
humanity – treating them badly diminishes us
as human beings
Knowing that food animals have been well
treated is increasingly important to
consumers of meat
Pigs that are well treated grow better, look
better, taste better and fetch better prices
Welfare requirements for pigs
An adequate supply of nourishing food and
clean water
Sufficient living space to allow freedom of
movement and behaviour
Maintaining a good level of hygiene
Handling pigs kindly, not hurting them
unnecessarily
Carrying out permitted procedures efficiently
Food and water
Food should be fresh,
appetising and
balanced in terms of
nutrients
Water should be clean,
cool, and always
available
Sufficient living space
Overcrowding causes
discomfort and can
stunt growth (above);
pigs need space to
stretch out and be
comfortable
Freedom of movement
Pigs should not be
tethered – it is cruel
and illegal and can
cause serious injuries
Good hygiene
Pigs do not like to be
dirty – it is up to us to
make sure they do not
have to be. The
conditions shown here
are not acceptable
Handling pigs kindly
Pigs must not be
beaten or lifted by the
ears, foreleg, or tail
only
They respond well to
kind handlers and
perform better for them
Permitted procedures
Giving injections, ear-tagging/tattooing,
treating wounds, trimming feet, helping sows
with farrowing
Piglets less than 7 days old: castration (tail
docking and clipping teeth are permitted but
not recommended)
More details are given in the section on
management
Any questions?