The Rural Voice, 2019-01, Page 27Stress and boredom may be the
main reasons pigs bite each
other’s tails and the use of
enrichment toys can help prevent
both.
So suggested Anna Valros of the
University of Helsinki who spoke on
housing and management strategies
to reduce tail biting at the
Shakespeare Swine Seminar held in
September.
In her home country of Finland,
there has been a total ban on tail-
docking since 2003. Pig farmers are
required to give pigs bedding-type
material daily in addition to solid
manipulative materials such as wood,
plastic balls or other enrichment
devices.
Canadian swine producers still
dock pig’s tails as a management
practice. However, new pig protocols
require producers to have two forms
on enrichment devices in sow barns.
(see Tara Terpstra story to learn how
one Ontario farm is doing it.)
From her experience researching
Finnish pig farming practices, Valros
shared her knowledge about why pigs
bite tails and what are the most
effective ways to reduce this painful
phenomenon.
“If I had to vote, I would say the
main reason pigs bite is because of
stress,” said Valros. Other factors
causing the behaviours are boredom,
redirected foraging (nutrient
deficiencies can increase the risk for
biting) and “disturbed” behaviour.
“In some cases, we do have pigs
on farms with obsessive tail-biting
issues,” she said.
She divided tail biting into four
categories:
1) Two-stage: Starts at non-damaging
tail-in-mouth behaviour but escalates
into actual tail-biting
2) Sudden-forceful: A pig which
suddenly and with great force, bites
another pig’s tail in a situation of
competition.
3) Obsessive: A
specific pig
continuously bites
tails of many pigs
4) Epidemic: Tail-
biting occurs
suddenly in one or
several pens
spreading quickly.
While every
farm is different
and there are is no
single measure to
stop tail-biting,
understanding the
motivation of the
biter can help
farmers keep tail-
biting to an
acceptable level.
When looking to
solve the problems Valros
recommends that farmers should
examine:
• Ventilation: You only need a
small change in temperature to cause
stress and push the pigs to bite tails.
• Feed space: When polled,
Finnish producers listed available
feed space as the top factor to prevent
tail biting. Animal health was second,
managing air flow in pens was third
and having enough water for all pigs
was fourth.
• Enrichment: Producers listed
enrichment devices and rootable
materials as 13th and 17th in that
same poll. Valros felt they should be
higher.
• What type: In that same poll,
Finnish farmers believed that straw
was the most valuable rooting device.
Newspaper was second, hay third,
cardboard fourth and chains fifth.
Balls on chains, dry woods, rubber
balls and commercial pig toys were
at the bottom of the list. However, in
her research, Valros discovered that a
chain with fresh wood on the bottom
was the best. “Because the pigs can
actually dig into the wood,” she said.
• Add a salt block: Adding a salt
block to the pen or even feeding salt
on the floor can help.
• Reduce the risk for competition:
This has to do with spacing
requirements. In 2018, Finland
increased the space requirements for
pigs.
• Remove the tail-biter: An easy
fix when the tail-biter can be
identified.
Management is essential. Valros
said farmers should always monitor
the pens, checking for restlessness. If
pigs in a pen seem stressed, check to
see if pigs are moving with tails
tucked low.
With all the options, Valros
admitted it’s hard to pick the best
option. “Just change something!” she
said.
Sometimes altering the social
structure of the pen, while stressful,
can change the group dynamics and
potentially eliminate unwanted
behaviours. And try toys, she said.
It’s a feel-good approach. ◊
January 2019 23
Advice
Enrichment toys helps reduce tail biting
Tails are a bigger concern in Finland where tail-docking is
banned but their experience can benefit Ontario farms
Tail biting and aggression can be caused by many
things including stress, boredom or obsessive
behaviour. Chains and other enrichment devices are
used to reduce unwanted pig behaviours.
• Lisa B. Pot •