Project partners gathered in Finland to assess milestones, exchange knowledge and discuss the next steps of the project
This infographic highlights the practical tool that helps farmers identify potential risk factors when preparing for the production of pigs with undocked tails.
This new infographic illustrates the practice of allowing the piglets to comingle.
This new infographic illustrates the use of Drained flooring, wich combines the benefits of solid and slatted floors.
One of the winners of the ‘Avoiding Pain in Castration (APC)’ category was this set of good practices.
One of the winners of the ‘Pigs with undocked tails’ category was this set of good practices covering different aspects of animal management that allow tail docking to be avoided.
WelFarmers stands out with a practical approach to animal welfare and presents first project results
WelFarmers was represented by Dr. Vivi Aarestrup Moustsen from SEGES Innovation (Denmark), one of the project’s Work Package Leaders.
This is the first in a series of infographics that we have prepared to provide a clearer explanation of the first-round winners.
From the 29th September to the 2nd October 2025, Neil Joseph Tirchett from Teagasc represented the WelFarmers project by joining a visit organised by the OneWelPig project.
After selecting 20 good practices (five from each thematic group), the regional networks finally selected the best 12.
At the end of the production cycle (135 kg), each pen houses a maximum of 13 pigs, providing 1.2 m² per pig.
This housing system allows effective microclimate control with natural ventilation, ensuring good air quality for pigs and workers.
This farm has two pig houses: one built in 1997 and one built in 2018. The results are similar for both.
This practice enhances welfare through increased space, solid flooring,bedding, and functional zones. It reduces aggression, improves comfort, and supports pigs with long tails.
Drained flooring combines the benefits of solid and slatted floors, offering a cleaner, dry, and non-slip surface with only 10% slot openings.
Since 2022, this farm has implemented immunocastration to eliminate surgical castration avoiding any risk of odour.
This farm adopted local anaesthesia as soon as it became available, training staff accordingly. Piglets are gently lifted from heated plates and moved to a treatment station.
This farm uses local anaesthesia and analgesia during surgical castration to improve animal welfare, reduce pain, stress, and mortality in piglets.
Since 2016, CHB company has adopted immunocastration as the preferred method for raising pigs to high finishing weights (140–160 kg) under high welfare standards, including straw b
In October 2023, the farm began testing immunocastration to reduce fighting, mounting, and injuries among pigs in large pens (350–450 pigs, mixed sex).
As soon as a tail bite with blood is observed, the farmer remains in the pen to identify the biting pig, which typically takes around 5 minutes.
“Never Docked a Pig Tail and Never Will” is a comprehensive approach to pig farming that eliminates tail docking by addressing the root causes of tail biting through improved housi
The ‘Happy Tail’ approach consists of a set of good practices that eliminate the need for tail docking and teeth clipping.
