Welfare assessment tested for smallholder pig farms
Existing pig welfare assessments had 'limitations' on smallholder systems.
A new welfare assessment tool is expected to better support smallholder pig farming in low- and middle-income countries.
Researchers hope to address a gap in animal welfare research, with existing tools developed for intensive commercial production in high-income countries.
Smallholder pig farms provide food and income to millions of families in Asia, Africa, and other low- and middle-income countries. The farms often keep a handful of animals and management strategies are shaped by available resources and cultural traditions.
An international team of scientists, led by the University of Sydney and including experts from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies Animal Welfare Centre, hoped to create a method reflecting local farming, supporting livelihoods and informing future policy.
In a review of 16 existing pig welfare assessment protocols, researchers uncovered limitations in how they could be applied to smallholder systems.
This informed a framework, which combined a farmer questionnaire with animal-based observations. This identified five critical welfare indicators requiring attention: access to food and water, body condition, space allowance, and negative social behaviour.
The framework has been piloted on 110 smallholder pig farms in northern Vietnam, where it was used to assess the welfare of sows, piglets and growing pgs.
Researchers concluded that it was a practical tool for use in real-world smallholder farming systems. They say it demonstrated how welfare could be assessed using measures tailored to local conditions.
In northern Vietnam, the framework revealed that most pigs showed good welfare. However, restricted access to drinking water and poor body condition proved common concerns.
Based on these findings, the team concluded that simple, low-cost interventions could substantially improve pig welfare and support productivity.
However, the researchers say that the protocol is ‘not intended to be a universal solution’. They suggest that the framework is refined and validated in different countries, informed by local knowledge and expertise.
Dr Rebecca Doyle, animal welfare centre director, said: “This framework provides a foundation that researchers and organisations can adapt to their own contexts while still using evidence-based welfare measures."
“By helping farmers and researchers measure welfare more consistently, the framework could support future improvements in animal health, food security and sustainable livestock production on farm and into government policy."
The study into the assessment protocol is published in the journal Tropical Animal Health and Production.
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