Initiatives to Reduce Mutilations in EU Livestock Production
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Wageningen UR Livestock Research Together with our clients, we integrate scientific know-how and practical experience P.O. Box 65 to develop livestock concepts for the 21st century. With our expertise on innovative Initiatives to reduce mutilations in EU 8200 AB Lelystad livestock systems, nutrition, welfare, genetics and environmental impact of livestock The Netherlands farming and our state-of-the art research facilities, such as Dairy Campus and Swine T +31 (0)320 23 82 38 Innovation Centre Sterksel, we support our customers to find solutions for current livestock production E [email protected] and future challenges. www.wageningenUR.nl/livestockresearch The mission of Wageningen UR (University & Research centre) is ‘To explore Livestock Research Report 0000 the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’. Within Wageningen UR, ISSN 0000-000 nine specialised research institutes of the DLO Foundation have joined forces Hans Spoolder,*, Maria Schöne & Marc Bracke with Wageningen University to help answer the most important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With approximately 30 locations, 6,000 members of staff and 9,000 students, Wageningen UR is one of the leading organisations in its domain worldwide. The integral approach to problems and the cooperation between the various disciplines are at the heart of the unique Wageningen Approach. Initiatives to reduce mutilations in EU livestock production Hans Spoolder1,*, Maria Schöne2 & Marc Bracke1 1Wageningen UR Livestock Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands 2Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands *Email: [email protected] This research was conducted by Wageningen UR Livestock Research, commissioned and funded by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, within the framework of Policy Support Research theme Animal Welfare (project number BO-20-008-020) Wageningen UR Livestock Research March 2016 Livestock Research Report 940 Spoolder, H.A.M., M. Schöne, M.B.M. Bracke, 2016. Initiatives to reduce mutilations in livestock production. Wageningen UR (University & Research centre) Livestock Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Livestock Research Report 940; 84 pp. De moderne commerciële veehouderij maakt gebruik van pijnlijke ingrepen voor runderen, schapen, geiten, paarden, varkens en pluimvee. Dit rapport analyseert wettelijke en niet wettelijke initiatieven (vanuit overheid en markt) om ingrepen te reduceren in de EU. Succesvolle en minder succesvolle voorbeelden werden geïdentificeerd, en leiden tot zes algemene aanbevelingen ter bevordering van het terugdringen van ingrepen: er moet een gevoel van urgentie zijn, overeen gekomen regels vereisen handhaving, technische oplossingen zijn nodig voor technische problemen, een 'vangnet' moet risico’s verkleinen, commitment moet worden gedeeld door alle betrokken ketenpartners en als wetgeving tekort schiet, kan de markt het verschil maken. Conventional livestock production involves mutilations of animals. This report analyses legislative and non-legislative initiatives (by governments as well as the market) in the EU to reduce these practices in cattle, sheep, goats, horses, pigs and poultry. Successful and less successful examples were identified, and lead to six general recommendations: there needs to be a sense of urgency, agreed rules require enforcement, technical solutions are required to technical problems, ‘safety nets’ are needed to reduce risks, commitment needs to be shared by all chain partners involved and if legislation is unlikely to be successful, the market may help to make a change. © 2016 Wageningen UR Livestock Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands, T +31 (0)317 48 39 53, E [email protected], www.wageningenUR.nl/en/livestockresearch. Livestock Research is part of Wageningen UR (University & Research centre). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or made public, whether by print, photocopy, microfilm or any other means, without the prior permission of the publisher or author. The ISO 9001 certification by DNV underscores our quality level. 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Livestock Research Report Table of contents Foreword ................................................................................................................. 5 Executive summary ................................................................................................. 6 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 10 2 Materials and Methods .......................................................................................... 12 2.1 Collating the overview of EU and member state legislation................................... 12 2.2 Preparing an overview of non-legislative initiatives ............................................. 12 2.3 Conclusions and recommendations ................................................................... 13 3 Mutilations related to cattle .................................................................................. 14 3.1 European legislation ....................................................................................... 14 3.2 Legislation per EU member state ..................................................................... 14 3.3 Non-legislative initiatives ................................................................................ 22 3.4 Focus Mutilation: Dehorning and disbudding ...................................................... 27 3.4.1 Prevalence of the practice ................................................................... 27 3.4.2 Mitigating the negative welfare consequences ........................................ 27 3.4.3 Legislative initiatives to reduce dehorning .............................................. 28 3.4.4 Non-legislative initiatives to reduce dehorning ........................................ 28 3.4.5 Strengths and weaknesses of initiatives to reduce dehorning of cattle ........ 28 4 Mutilations related to sheep and goats .................................................................. 30 4.1 European legislation ....................................................................................... 30 4.2 Legislation per EU member state ..................................................................... 31 4.3 Non-legislative initiatives ................................................................................ 37 4.4 Focus mutilation: tail docking of sheep ............................................................. 40 4.4.1 Prevalence of the practice ................................................................... 40 4.4.2 Mitigating the negative welfare consequences ........................................ 40 4.4.3 Legislative initiatives to reduce tail docking in sheep ............................... 41 4.4.4 Non-legislative initiatives to reduce tail docking in sheep ......................... 42 4.4.5 Strengths and weaknesses of initiatives to reduce tail docking in sheep...... 42 5 Mutilations related to horses ................................................................................. 43 5.1 European legislation ....................................................................................... 43 5.2 Legislation per EU member state ..................................................................... 43 5.3 Non-legislative initiatives ................................................................................ 46 6 Mutilations related to pigs ..................................................................................... 47 6.1 European legislation ....................................................................................... 47 6.2 Legislation per EU member state ..................................................................... 47 6.3 Non-legislative initiatives ................................................................................ 54 6.4 Focus mutilation: surgical castration of pigs ...................................................... 57 6.4.1 Prevalence of the practice ................................................................... 57 6.4.2 Mitigating the negative welfare consequences ........................................ 57 6.4.3 Legislative initiatives to reduce surgical castration of pigs ........................ 58 6.4.4 Non-legislative initiatives to reduce surgical castration of pigs .................. 58 6.4.5 Strengths and weaknesses of initiatives to reduce castration of pigs .......... 60 6.5 Focus mutilation: tail docking of pigs ................................................................ 61 6.5.1 Prevalence of the practice ................................................................... 61 6.5.2 Mitigating the negative welfare consequences ........................................ 62 6.5.3 Legislative initiatives to reduce tail docking in pigs .................................. 62 6.5.4 Non-legislative initiatives to reduce tail docking in pigs ............................ 62 6.5.5 Strengths and weaknesses of initiatives to reduce tail docking in pigs ........ 63 7 Mutilations related to poultry ................................................................................ 65 7.1 European legislation ....................................................................................... 65 7.2 Legislation per EU member