Group housing of sows SCOFCAH 7.5.2012 Laurence Bonafos Unit G3
The views expressed here are purely those of the writer and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission
Interpretation of the Directive on the protection of pigs 2008/120/EC Copies of most relevant letters of interpretation issued by the Commission will be distributed Interpretation letters = precise replies to specific questions Extrapolation to even a slightly different situation is dangerous address new questions to the Commission, in case of doubt Interpretation issued takes into account the objectives of the Directive: improve the welfare of pigs Only the Court of Justice of the European Union is entitled to interpret European Union law with final binding authority
Slatted floors (1): Directive 2008/120/EC Concrete slatted floors - article 3(2) b) i) of the Directive - when used for pigs kept in groups, the maximum width of the openings of the slats should be : 11 mm for piglets, 14 mm for weaners, 18 mm for rearing pigs, 20 mm for gilts after service and sows Applicable since 1 January 2003 - date of accession to all new pig holdings; It will apply to all holdings from 1/1/2013. Art 12: MS can adopt stricter national provisions Objective: to avoid that pigs get their hooves (feet) trapped in the openings of the slats of concrete slatted floors while allowing dung and enrichment material to be eliminated
Slatted floors (2): openings between slats Q: European Standard provides for some tolerance regarding slats when producing Precast concrete products Floor slats for livestock. Can MS take this standard into account? A: The Directive per se does not define tolerance levels for the measurements of the openings of the slats. The European standards applying to finished product of Precast concrete products for floor slats for livestock provide for some tolerance levels for slatted floors and the Commission considers that these standards should be taken into account by Member States when checking the implementation of the Directive.
Slatted floors (2): openings between slats
Slatted floors (3): continuous flooring surface Q: Does the term «Continuous» slatted floors prevent the use of fully slatted floors? A: The ordinary meaning of the term «continuous» is «prolonged without interruption; unceasing» or «in an unbroken series or pattern». Hence the term appears to rather indicate that the floor has to be of solid material throughout.
Slatted floors (4): partially slatted floors and openings between slats Q: Some MS have stricter national measures and require that floors are only partially slatted. In practice with partially slatted floors, there are problems to eliminate the dung through 18 mm openings between slats? Can this be taken into account? A: Partially slatted floors with gaps of 20 mm instead of 18 mm for rearing pigs can have greater welfare benefits by providing a more comfortable lying area and preventing the clogging of slats by dung or enrichment material. A concrete slatted floor system with partly slatted floor of 60% combined with gaps of 20 mm can be acceptable for rearing pigs as part of the flexibility given to MS to apply stricter provisions for the protection of pigs (Art 12)
Slatted floors (5): partially slatted floors and openings between slats
Slatted floors (5): plastic slatted floors Q: Do the requirements for max. width of openings and minimum slat witdh, apply to plastic slatted floors used in farrowing pens and pens for piglets and weaners? A: These specific requirements apply only for concrete slatted floors. In case of plastic slatted floors, it is up to the MS to ensure that those are harmless for animals which come into contact with them (paragraph 8 Annex to CD 98/58/EC).
Slatted floors (6): plastic slatted floors
Unobstructed area (1): Directive 2008/120/EC Article 3 (1)(b) requires that the total unobstructed floor area available to each gilt after service and to each sow when gilts and/or sows are kept in groups must be at least 1.64m 2 and 2.25 m 2 respectively.
Unobstructed area (2): feeders Q: Can the space taken by sunken continuous feeders of less than 25 cm depth be included in the total unobstructed floor area available? A: These particular feeders do not prevent the sows to occupy the space taken by the feeders therefore they can be included in the total unobstructed floor area available provided that contamination of food and water and the harmful effects of competition between animals are minimised.
Unobstructed area (3): feeders
Unobstructed area (4): free access stalls Q: Can the space taken by autoblocking stalls be included in the total unobstructed floor area available? A: The autoblocking stalls allow sows to enter and go out freely and to join the group freely. Therefore the space taken by autoblocking stalls can be included in the total unobstructed floor area available.
Unobstructed area (5): free access stalls
Unobstructed area (6): locking system and free access stalls Q: Can free access stalls be equipped with a double lock system: a collective lock system to all the stalls in the pen for punctual moments such as cleaning and an individual lock system for individual treatments? A: Whereas 9) of the Directive states «keeping sows in continuous close confinement should therefore be prohibited». As long as the double lock system is only used temporarily for collective or individual managerial actions, and in the rest of time the sows are free to move in and out of the stalls and are kept in groups, this system complies with the Directive.
Unobstructed area (7): locking system and free access stalls
Rural development programme: period of grace Q: Is the continuation of animal production in non compliant systems permissible within «the period of grace» mentioned in Article 26 of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005/EC if the farmer is the receiver of support in order to comply with newly introduced Union rules for the protection of the animals bred on that farm? A: The period of grace does not have any impact on any other obligation stemming from other legislative texts. This means, when the AW standard becomes mandatory (1.1.2013) the farmer has to comply with these rules. It is still possible for the farmer to receive support for making the investments to comply with the standards, but she/he may no longer keep sows in non-compliant installations.
Useful information EFSA Opinions on pigs http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/publications.htm Presentations on enrichment materials and group housing http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/welfare/seminars/docs/20 101111_agenda_parma.pdf Guidelines on enrichment material European Standard EN 12737:2004+A1 Precast concrete products Floor slats for livestock http://shop.bsigroup.com/productdetail/?pid=0000000000 30160510
Group housing of sows Table with current and future state of implementation presented to Council of Ministers of Agriculture Call for update by the end of May 2012 by Commissioner Dalli Access to documents procedure: MS data regarding their future level of compliance