How to delineate the sow's welfare needs.
The way in which farm animal welfare is appraised at present, as exemplified by the UK codes of welfare, suffers three faults; firstly welfare is not systematically analysed, secondly welfare requirements are described in little detail and thirdly there is no published technical justification for the recommendations. An approach which can overcome all of these problems is outlined in the paper. This approach sets out to describe sow welfare as the sow perceives it and, then to translate each welfare element into quantifiable variables with defined boundaries of welfare acceptability. Thirteen elements of welfare requirements are proposed for domestic sows. It is concluded that such an approach should improve the depth in which we investigate welfare requirements and give codes of recommendations more consistency over time and greater longevity.
D000388:Air; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D004326:Drinking; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D006120:Grooming; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D011998:Recreation; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D012924:Social Conditions; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature