Herd health and welfare plans are obligatory in organic and several conventional assurance schemes in the UK. Aim of this study was to introduce this management tool on Austrian organic pig farms based on health and welfare assessments. We visited 35 farms with a median number of 21 sows (12-500), 70 weaners (9-995) and 113 finishers (12-669).
The initial, one-day farm assessment includes an interview regarding management and feeding, qualitative and quantitative behavioural observations, animal based parameters (e.g. lesions, body condition), measurements of housing and treatment and production records. Results are summarised in a written plan including benchmarking of animal based parameters. This document is discussed with the farmer, who decides on areas to improve during the following year in cooperation with the researcher, his vet and/or organic advisor. Farms will be re-assessed after one year and a new plan will be made.
Best quintiles (Q1) for fight lesions were 0-0.3% and 0-4% for weaners and fatteners, respectively, while worst quintiles (Q5) were >20-67 and >20-90. In Q1 (Q5) for dry sows animals had on average 0-0.3 (>3-6) lesions per sow on shoulder/side. Prevalence of deformed vulva in sows ranged from 0% (Q1) to >17-50% (Q5). Tail injuries were absent in Q1 for weaners and fatteners, yet in Q5 >2-13% (weaners) and >3-63% (fatteners) of animals did have tail injuries. Until now 35 farms decided on 2-3 areas, including health and welfare strategies (36%), feeding (24%), management (23%) and housing (17%).
To conclude, our findings demonstrate a potential for health and welfare planning in Austria. In addition, the concept of is well received by farmers and many farm individual targets are related to animal health and welfare. However, farm visits are still on-going and the effectiveness of the planning process can only be evaluated after the final visit.