Official animal welfare inspections at the Finnish Cattle and Pig Farms

What is it about?

Member States of the European Union are required to perform animal welfare inspections on livestock farms. Based on data obtained from these official inspections performed in Finnish cattle and pig farms in 2010–2015. In cattle, the most common problem was an inadequate lying area followed by deficient housing conditions for calves; in pigs, it was a lack of enrichment material. The non-compliances concerning cattle were most frequently detected in autumn and in farms with small herd size, with tie-stall housing and outdoor rearing year-round. The pig farms with a farrow-to-finish unit had a higher prevalence of non-compliances than other production types.

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Photo by Dmitriy Strakhov on Unsplash

Photo by Dmitriy Strakhov on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The data received from official inspections should be efficiently utilized in the development of animal welfare inspection system, with the aim of risk-based, consistent and uniform inspections. In Finland, the cattle welfare inspections should be performed with a focus on the cold and rainy seasons and at small farms, whereas the pig welfare inspections should mainly focus on farrow-to-finish units. In addition, the data should be utilized in targeting information for farmers.