Plenty has changed over the years when it comes to raising pigs — barns have become more efficient, animal care standards have been strengthened — but farmers have remained steadfast in their responsibility to raising animals in the best possible environment.

“Canada’s hog sector is demonstrating leadership to progressively advance animal welfare, including investments in new barn designs for group-housing sows, veterinary drugs to reduce pain, and investments in swine welfare research for knowledge creation to advance the animal care requirements in the Code of Practice”, said Dr. Yolande Seddon, NSERC Research Chair in Swine Welfare and Associate Professor, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan. “Our partnerships and collaborations with Canada’s hog sector help to ensure that farm animal welfare remains a priority for the sector, just as it is for consumers, and we keep supporting continual progressive improvements.”

Dr. Seddon and her team at the University of Saskatchewan focus their research on swine welfare, including environmental enrichment to support expression of natural behaviours in pigs, how management impacts the welfare of the pigs throughout their lives, new biological markers to evaluate welfare, and the development of a welfare assessment system that will monitor every pig at processing. This research, along with work being done by organizations like the Prairie Swine Centre and Swine Innovation Porc, allows for hog farmers with both small and large operations to have access to leading-edge data and techniques that keep them abreast of new knowledge when it comes to animal welfare standards.

Pigs today benefit from better individualized care and improved health, and farmers protect their animals from disease by following strict herd health procedures, such as showering before entering barns and routinely cleaning pig pens. Today’s pigs are raised with fewer diseases, resulting in healthier pigs and a safer food supply. Barns provide pigs with shelter and a healthy, comfortable space in which to grow, and are meticulously planned in their development and construction.

“Every detail in the barn is carefully planned and designed to consider what a pig would naturally and instinctually do,” explains Kevin Kurbis, Director of Hog Solutions for AgriHub. “We follow a set of global principles called the 5 Freedoms for Animal Welfare, as well as the national Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs. These codes of practice influence everything from the layout of the barn, to lighting placement and intensity, to feeder design and the construction materials used.”

Hog farms are governed by federal and provincial law, including the 105 Code of Practice requirements for raising pigs, which are enshrined in the provincial Animal Care Act, as well as federally recognized quality assurance programs. Those who work in the hog sector are committed to maintaining animal health and well-being at each stage of life.

Today, over 95% of Canadian pigs are raised in open group pens, including over half of sows in Manitoba. Canada’s hog sector is making progress each day to house even more pigs in open housing thanks to new investments across the sector in infrastructure and barn improvements.

All hog farms in Manitoba are now part of the new Canadian Pork Excellence programs, including PigCARE and PigSAFE. These programs allow registered pork producers to demonstrate compliance with food safety, animal care, and traceability requirements, with farms undergoing an annual audit by trained third-party professionals. Audits include the ability to assess improvement orders to make necessary changes to operations and demonstrate responsible pork production.

Hog farmers are modifying their operations to replace older barns and equipment, upgrading electrical systems, and adopting new technology and animal care practices. Other on-farm enhancements include the use of enrichment.
Providing things like chewable toys, music in the barn, and treats in feed are common enrichment activities that offer an outlet for natural behaviours and provide positive experiences for pigs. Dr. Seddon and her team have found enrichment routines that support play activities, enhance the quality of life for pigs in barns and can confer improved resilience, helping pigs adapt to new situations better and recover quickly from illness. It is now a requirement of the Code of Practice that all pigs have access to two forms of enrichment.

“We have a desire, a right, and a responsibility to take proper care of animals,” adds Kurbis. “All the producers I work with share these same goals. We are firm believers that if you let an animal do what they want to do, it’s going to be better for everyone — better for the animal, better for the farmer and a better product for consumers.”

To learn more, visit manitobapork.com/animalcare