Scottish Government

Freedom of movement

Your pigs must be free to turn round without difficulty at all times, including while tethered, where this is allowed. To meet this requirement we give the minimum sizes for stalls in the 'accommodation' section below.

All pigs cannot turn around without difficulty at all times.

On farm

Medium

Evidence of breach but where this has not caused unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

High

Where there is unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

Rectifiable

Rectifiable / Permanent

You can only tether pigs for veterinary purposes. You must not tether them at any other time.

These tethers must not cause pain or injury to your pigs. You must regularly inspect the tethers and adjust them if necessary to make sure they are a comfortable fit. Each tether must avoid the risk of strangulation, pain or injury and allow your pig to lie down, rest, stand up and groom itself without difficulty.

Pig tethered unnecessarily ( i.e. not tethered for imminent or recent examination, treatment, operation).

Pig tethered for acceptable reason but avoidable injury has been caused to animal.

Tether of unacceptable length with an increased risk of strangulation, pain or injury; does not allow pig to lie down, rest, stand up and groom itself without difficulty.

On farm

Medium

Evidence of breach but where this has not caused unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

High

Where there is unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

Rectifiable

Rectifiable / Permanent

Accommodation, environment and equipment

You must make sure the accommodation for your pigs allows each pig to:

• stand up, lie down and rest without difficulty;
• have a clean, comfortable and adequately drained place in which it can rest (including making sure that any bedding is clean, dry and not harmful to the pigs);
• see other pigs (unless the pig is isolated for farrowing or for veterinary reasons);
• maintain a comfortable temperature. This means that you cannot keep them in the high temperature/ high humidity environment that is known as the "sweat box system " and
• have enough space to allow all the pigs to lie down at the same time.

For piglets you must, if it is necessary to meet the requirements above, provide them with a source of heat and a dry and comfortable lying area away from the sow where all of them can rest at the same time.

Pig(s) unable to stand up and/or lie down and/or rest without difficulty.

Pig(s) do not have a clean, and/or physically comfortable and/or adequately drained lying area to rest.

Pig(s) are unable to see other pigs (unless the pig is isolated for farrowing or for veterinary reasons).

Pig(s) cannot maintain a comfortable temperature; includes the use of accommodation defined as the sweat box system).

Insufficient space for all pigs to lie down at the same time.

Piglets have not been provided with a source of heat and a dry and comfortable lying area away from the sow where all of them can rest at the same time (where it is considered necessary in order to meet all accommodation requirements).

(In the case of pigs the internal area is less than the square of the length of the pig and internal side is less than 75% of the length of the pig when measured from the tip of the snout to the base of the tail).

On farm

Medium

Evidence of breach but where this has not caused unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

High

Where there is unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

Rectifiable

Rectifiable / Permanent

So that your pigs can turn around at all times, stalls or pens used for holding individual pigs must be of the following measurements-

• The inside area must be at least the square of the length of the pig.
• No side inside the stall must be less than 75% of the length of the pig.

Internal area of stall/ pen is less than the square of the length of the pig; any internal side is less than 75% of the length of the pig.

Important: the following circumstances are permitted exceptions and are NOT classed as a breach of requirements for the size of an individual pen:

• Those used for holding a female pig for the period between seven days before the predicted day of her farrowing and the day on which her piglets are weaned (including any piglets fostered by her)
• When keeping a pig in a stall or pen for veterinary purposes.
• When keeping a pig in a stall or pen for the purposes of servicing, artificial insemination or collecting semen.
• When keeping a pig in a stall or pen while it is fed.
• When keeping a pig in a stall or pen for the purposes of marking, washing or weighing it.
• When keeping a pig in a stall or pen while its accommodation is being cleaned.
• When keeping a pig in a stall or pen while it is waiting to be loaded for transportation.

However, the period the pig is kept in this accommodation must not be longer than needed for that purpose.

The requirements for a minimum size of stall or pen also do not apply if it is referring to a stall or pen that the pig can enter or leave when it wants. In this case the stall must be entered from another stall or pen where the pig is normally kept and which does comply by the minimum standards.

On farm

Medium

Evidence of breach but where this has not caused unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

High

Where there is unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

Rectifiable

Rectifiable / Permanent

If you keep your pigs in a building, the floors must be:

smooth but not slippery so you prevent injuries to the pigs;

built and maintained so they do not injure the pigs standing or lying on them or cause them suffering;

suitable for the size and weight of the pigs; and rigid, even and stable (if there is not litter).

Flooring is found to be:

• not suitable for size and weight of pigs
• slippery
• not smooth
• uneven/ unstable (when no litter has been provided)

On farm

Medium

Evidence of breach but where this has not caused unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

High

Where there is unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

Rectifiable

Rectifiable / Permanent

If you use concrete slatted floors when keeping pigs in groups, the following measurements apply.

Openings are too wide between slats for category of pig.

Slat width too small for category of pig.

On farm

Medium

Evidence of breach but where this has not caused unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

High

Where there is unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

Rectifiable

Rectifiable / Permanent

As well as the general requirements in of SMR 18, if you keep pigs in an artificially lit building, you must provide lighting of at least 40 lux for at least eight hours each day.

Pigs exposed to light of less than 40 lux in buildings where pigs are dependent on artificial lighting.

Pigs exposed to less than 8 hours of light in buildings where pigs are dependent on artificial lighting.

On farm

Medium

Rectifiable

You must not expose your pigs to constant or sudden noise. You must make sure that noise levels above 85 decibels are avoided in the part of any building where you keep your pigs.

Exposure of pigs to continuous levels of 85 decibels and above

Exposure of pigs to continuous or sudden loud noises that could be reasonably avoided or minimised.

On farm

Medium

Rectifiable

To enable proper investigation and manipulation activities, you must give all pigs permanent access to a sufficient quantity of material such as straw, hay, wood, sawdust, mushroom compost, peat or a mixture of such that does not affect their health in a negative way.

No or insufficient manipulable material available to sows and/or gilts to enable proper investigation and manipulation activities.

Material provided which compromises pig health.

On farm

Medium

Evidence of breach but where this has not caused unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

High

Where there is unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

Rectifiable

Rectifiable / Permanent

If you keep your pigs together, you must take measures to prevent fighting which goes beyond normal behaviour. You must isolate or keep separate from the group pigs that show persistent aggression towards others or are victims of that aggression.

Inadequate measures are taken to minimise aggression in groups of pigs.

Persistent aggressors, or their victims, are not isolated from the rest of the group.

On farm

Medium

Evidence of breach but where this has not caused unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

High

Where there is unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

Rectifiable

Rectifiable / Permanent

Feed, water and other substances

Where your pigs are housed in a group and do not have continuous access to feed, or are not fed by an automatic feeding system feeding the animals individually, you must give each pig access to the food at the same time as the others in the feeding group.

For feeding systems that are not adlib, or where animals are not fed by an automatic feeding system feeding individually, pigs are not able to access the feed at the same time as others in the feeding group.

On farm

Medium

Rectifiable

Mutilations

Except for the exceptions detailed below, you must not carry out any intervention procedures on your pigs that result in damage to or loss of a sensitive part of the body or the alteration of bone structure, except for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes. These permitted procedures (listed below) may only be carried out under hygienic conditions by a veterinary surgeon or, where it is legally permitted, by a person who has been trained in accordance with the appropriate Regulations and who is experienced in performing the procedures.

You must not routinely carry out the following two procedures, but may use them only where there is evidence that injuries to sows' teats or to other pigs' ears or tails have occurred:

• uniform reduction of corner teeth of piglets by grinding or clipping not later than the seventh day of life of the piglets leaving an intact smooth surface; or
• docking of a part of the tail;

However, no tooth reduction or tail docking may be carried out unless other measures to improve environmental conditions or management systems have already been taken in order to prevent tail biting and other vices.

Male pigs may be castrated provided the means employed do not involve tearing of tissues.

If docking of tails is carried out after the seventh day of life it must only be performed under anaesthetic and additional prolonged analgesia by a veterinary surgeon.

If castration is carried out after the seventh day of life it must only be performed by a veterinary surgeon in accordance with the provisions of the Protection of Animals (Anaesthetics) Act 1954

Boars' tusks may be reduced in length where necessary to prevent injuries to other animals or for safety reasons.

Nose rings may not be put in animals kept continuously in indoor husbandry systems.

Ear tagging or ear notching may be carried out for identification purposes.

Stock keeper has no reasonable justification or evidence for performing mutilation.

Corner teeth in piglets removed after 7 days of age.

Castration and/or tail docking performed after 7 days of age by a person who is not a veterinary surgeon.

Castration performed by inadequately trained person.

Castration has been performed by means of tearing tissues.

On farm (unless supplying pigs for other farms)

High

High

High

High

High

Permanent

Permanent

Permanent

Permanent

Permanent

Specific provisions for boars

You must place and build boar pens to allow the boars to turn round and to hear, see and smell other pigs.

The pens must also contain clean resting areas and the lying area must be dry and comfortable.

The minimum unobstructed floor area for an adult boar must be six square metres. However, when boar pens are also used for natural service, the floor area must be at least 10 square metres and must be free of any obstacles.

Boar unable to turn around in pen.

Boar unable to hear and/or see and/or smell other pigs.

Boar pen does not contain clean resting areas and the lying area is not dry and comfortable.

Pen (which is not used for natural service) is less than 6 m ².

Pen, which is also used for natural service, is less than 10 m ².

Pen, which is also used for natural service, contains obstacles.

On farm

Medium

Rectifiable

If necessary, you must treat pregnant gilts and sows against internal and external parasites.

Sows and/or gilts have not, where necessary, been treated against external and internal parasites (unacceptable parasite burden).

On farm

Medium

Evidence of breach but where this has not caused unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

High

Where there is unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

Rectifiable

Rectifiable / Permanent

If they are placed in farrowing crates, you must thoroughly clean pregnant sows and gilts.

Evidence and/or farmer admission that sows and/or gilts are not cleaned prior to placement in farrowing crates.

On farm

Medium

Rectifiable

In the week before the expected farrowing time, you must give sows and gilts enough suitable nesting material unless it is not technically practical because of the slurry system you use.

Lack of sufficient quantity of suitable nesting material provided for sows and/or gilts one week prior to farrowing, where it is reasonably possible to provide such material.

On farm

Medium

Rectifiable

During farrowing, an unobstructed area behind the sow or gilt must be available for the ease of natural or assisted farrowing.

No unobstructed area available behind sow(s) or gilt(s) for the ease of natural or assisted farrowing.

On farm

Medium

Rectifiable

If you keep sows loose in farrowing pens there must be some method of protecting the piglets, such as farrowing rails.

When Sows are kept loose in farrowing pens there is no method of protecting the piglets ( e.g. farrowing rails)

On farm

Medium

Evidence of breach but where this has not caused unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

High

Where there is unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

You must keep sows and gilts in groups except during the period between seven days before the predicted day of farrowing and the day on which the weaning of piglets (including any piglets fostered) is complete.

The pen where you keep the group must have sides greater than 2.8 metres (m) in length, except when there are fewer than six in the group. In this case the sides of the pen must be no less than 2.4 m in length

The total unobstructed floor area available to each female pig after service, when you keep them in groups, must be at least 1.64 square metres for each gilt and 2.25 square metres for each sow. When you keep these animals in groups of fewer than six you must increase the unobstructed floor area by 10%. When you keep these animals in groups of 40 or more, you can reduce the unobstructed floor area by 10%.

A part of this - equal to at least 0.95 square metres for each gilt and at least 1.3 square metres for each sow - must be continuous solid floor. Up to 15% of this area may be for drainage openings.

Sows and gilts housed singly other than during the period 1 week prior to farrowing up to 4 weeks following service.

Length < than 2.8m (<2.4m for less than 6 pigs).

Insufficient floor area for the gilts and/or sows assessed.

Insufficient continuous floor area for the gilts and/or sows assessed.

On farm

Medium

Evidence of breach but where this has not caused unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

High

Where there is unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

Rectifiable

Rectifiable / Permanent

As well as the overall requirements for feeding pigs, you must feed sows and gilts using a system that means each pig can get enough food even when other pigs are competing for food.

You must give all dry pregnant sows and gilts enough bulky or high-fibre food as well as high-energy food to satisfy their hunger and need to chew.

Sows and gilts kept in groups are not fed using a system which ensures each individual can obtain sufficient food in the presence of competitors

Dry pregnant sows or gilts are not provided with a sufficient quantity of bulky or high fibre food.

On farm

Medium

Evidence of breach but where this has not caused unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

High

Where there is unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

Rectifiable

Rectifiable / Permanent

A part of the total floor where you keep the piglets must be large enough to allow the animals to rest together at the same time, and must be solid or covered with a mat, or be littered with straw or any other suitable material.

If you use a farrowing crate, you must give the piglets enough space to be able to be suckled without difficulty.

You must not wean piglets from the sow at an age of less than 28 days unless the welfare or health of the dam or piglets would otherwise be affected negatively.

You may wean them up to seven days earlier if you move them into specialised housing which you empty and thoroughly clean and disinfect before you introduce a new group and which are separate from housing where you keep other sows.

No or insufficient area for the piglets, which is solid or covered with a mat or littered with straw or other suitable material that allows all piglets to lie together at the same time.

Piglets do not have sufficient space to suckle without difficulty.

Piglets are weaned earlier than 28 days, where there is no reasonable justification based on sow and/or piglet health or welfare grounds AND where there is not appropriate specialised housing for early weaning of pigs.

Specialised accommodation is available for early weaned piglets but the housings are not emptied and thoroughly cleansed and disinfected before introduction of a new group and/or the accommodation is not separated from housing where sows are kept.

On farm

Medium

Rectifiable

The unobstructed floor area available to each weaner or rearing pig reared in a group must be at least:

Insufficient floor area for the weaners or rearers assessed.

On farm

Medium

Rectifiable

You must place pigs in groups as soon as possible after weaning. You must keep them in stable groups with as little mixing as possible.

If you have to mix pigs who are unfamiliar with one another, you should do this at as young an age as possible, preferably before or up to one week after weaning. When you mix pigs you must give them enough opportunities to escape and hide from other pigs they are not familiar with.

Pigs mixed at inappropriate age or time, which does not prevent fighting that, goes beyond normal behaviour.

When pigs are mixed adequate opportunities are not provided for pigs to escape and hide from other pigs.

On farm

Medium

Evidence of breach but where this has not caused unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

High

Where there is unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

Rectifiable

Rectifiable / Permanent

Tranquillising medication, used on pigs in order to help with mixing must not be used unless there are exceptional conditions and only after you have consulted a vet.

Tranquilising medication has been used to facilitate mixing where there are no exceptional conditions and without - or contrary to - consultation with veterinary surgeon.

On farm

Medium

Evidence of breach but where this has not caused unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

High

Where there is unnecessary pain, distress or injury to animal(s).

Rectifiable

Rectifiable / Permanent