The case in summary: Pig farmer Kristian Hovde in Ringsaker has a similar pig barn where the pigs are allowed to roam freely within larger enclosures. This has led to better animal welfare and a higher meat percentage. Animal welfare adviser Norun Haugen refers to Hovde as a role model in the pig industry. NMBU professor Inger Lise Andersen explains that the pigs move more and slouch less, the more space they have. Hovde believes that there will be new requirements for pig keeping where the pigs must have a larger area and the opportunity to move around. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – It seems that the pigs are thriving very well, says Kristian Hovde. He is a pig farmer in Ringsaker in Innlandet, and has a slightly unusual pig barn. While most Norwegian pigs live a life in a small pen with few other pigs, Hovde allows the pigs to roam freely within larger enclosures. In pens of 180 square metres, they can run around and move around, but they also have the opportunity to hide behind walls and straw bundles. This has led to both better animal welfare, but also meat, Hovde believes. Pig farmer Kristian Hovde believes there are several advantages to having large pig pens, as opposed to small ones. Photo: Frode Meskau / news High meat percentage The meat percentage of the animals in his barn is a few percentage points higher than the national average. This means that the pigs have less fat. According to Animalia, the meat percentage in Norwegian slaughter pigs was 60 per cent on average last year. – We have such a high percentage of meat that it is actually a bit too low fat for bacon, says Hovde. – I think it comes from them moving and getting more exercise. My investment in animal welfare can save both the animals and the farmers. Read how here. Calling for stricter rules – It’s great that some pig farmers are taking the lead. Norun Haugen says so. She is an animal welfare adviser and works to change the regulations for the better for the animals. In 2019, she shocked Norway with the Brennpunkt documentary “The secrets of the pig industry”, where she investigated Norwegian pig production with a hidden camera for five years. – The vast majority of pigs in Norway today live in stimulus-poor concrete pens in a very small space, she says. Five years after her documentary was shown, she believes there have been few signs of improvement in the industry. 80 per cent of pig farming in Norway is in small pens with 10–12 pigs, according to NMBU professor Inger Lise Andersen. Photo: Frode Meskau / news – Unfortunately, there have been no improvements. It is still legal to keep pigs in the living environment that I documented, she says. Haugen is calling for a stricter set of regulations, where, among other things, stricter requirements will be placed on how much space the animals must have. – Need to move NMBU professor Inger Lise Andersen is one of Norway’s leading experts in pig animal welfare. She explains that the most common pen solution in Norway are small pens with 10–12 pigs in each pen, where each pig has about one square meter of floor space. NMBU professor Inger Lise Andersen hopes to see more use of outdoor space in Norwegian pig farming in the future. Photo: Snorre Tønset / news The pigs move more and fight less, the more space they have. But it is at least as important that they have something to do in the space they have, she believes. According to Andersen, there is an advantage with larger groups of between 20 and 30 pigs or more. But little is known about what the upper limit is. Large groups of 150 animals or more can become restless and restless, she explains. Pigs are active animals. In the wild, pigs will spend 80 percent of their active time looking for food, even if they are fed power, says NMBU professor Inger Lise Andersen. Photo: Frode Meskau / news – It is important that the large groups have enough space and that the area is organized so that the resources, such as eating places, resting places, areas where they can root in the substrate and the like, are placed so that there is a good flow of animals and that conflict between animals is minimized. – They need to be able to move. Good health ≠ good welfare There are several advantages in that the pigs stay active and can use a larger area. – They get better digestion, better bone health, lower stress levels and less heart problems, among other things. Pigs need to move and explore a lot, says Andersen. She wants pigs to have access to an outdoor area, for part or all of the year, depending on the conditions on each individual farm. – Mainly, pigs are kept in for a desire for good health and for infection prevention. But good health does not necessarily mean good welfare, even if good health is an important prerequisite, she says. NMBU professor Inger Lise Andersen is one of Norway’s foremost experts in pig animal welfare. Photo: Snorre Tønset / news – Good pig welfare is not just about preventing pain, disease and discomfort. It is also about offering expensive positive activities that stimulate basic behavioral needs. This could, for example, be access to forage so that they get more fiber in their diet or access to straw or other root material. A role model in the pig industry Until stricter regulations are introduced, animal welfare advisor Haugen urges the rest of the pig industry to look to the farmer in Ringsaker. He refers to her as a role model in the industry. – He has a lot of knowledge, is future-oriented and has a focus on animal welfare. Norun Haugen believes that little has changed in the pig industry in Norway. In 2019, she uncovered several serious conditions in the Norwegian pig industry. Photo: Helle Westrum / news – My appeal to both pig farmers and agriculture in general is to see what he is doing and be inspired. – I think that can also be positive for the reputation of the pig industry. In addition to the fact that it will be very important and good for animal welfare for the pigs. Pig farmer Kristian Hovde in Ringsaker believes it is only natural if there are new requirements for pig barns. Photo: Frode Meskau / news The pig farmer in Ringsaker believes there will be new, stricter requirements for pig keeping. – It is only natural that there will now be new requirements for the pigs as well, where they must have a larger area and the opportunity to move around. In his large pen, 180 pigs go while they are small. As they grow, he moves them, so that there are just under a hundred pigs in each large pen. – This is a solution that will work where you have the pig inside at the same time as you produce the food in a way that the consumer wants. – A more natural living area under roof is not easy to find. The only thing missing is a swimming pool. Hi! Do you have any thoughts about the case you have read? Or do you have tips for other things I should look at? Feel free to send me an email! Published 15.06.2024, at 16.40
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At pig farmer Kristian Hovde, the pigs are allowed to run freely in large pens – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
