First, this law affects not only agricultural operations but also retailers and consumers. The raising of piglets and fattening pigs will become significantly more complex. There is consensus throughout the entire production chain that animal welfare and protection are important and must be continuously and gradually improved.
The amendment to the Animal Welfare Act proposes a tightening of the ban on tail docking for piglets. In the future, the keeping of pigs with docked tails will only be allowed in a few exceptional cases. This tail docking ban presents major challenges for farms. For reasons not yet sufficiently researched, tail injuries caused by chewing behaviour of pen mates occur in both organic and conventional pig farming. Based on my experience, the use of fibre-rich food, chewing materials, toys, and more space does not lead to satisfactory success, meaning intact animals.