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Pig Mutilations and Amputations

Common procedures include tail amputation, castration, teeth clipping, ear-notching, and ear tagging.[1-3] In the industrial animal ag system they are collectively known as “processing.”[4,5] Commercial operations commonly perform these procedures at the same time or within days of each other.[6,7] 

 

  1. Temple Grandin (ed.) (2021) Painful Husbandry Procedures in Livestock and Poultry. In Improving animal welfare: a practical approach, 3rd ed., CAB International, Boston, MA. pp. 222-224. 
  2. Widowski & Torrey (2012) Neonatal Management Practices Factsheet, Pork Information Gateway, https://porkgateway.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/neonatal-management-practices1.pdf
  3. Michigan State Univ. Extension (2019) Piglet Processing, Standard Operating Procedures of Pork Producers. https://www.canr.msu.edu/pork/uploads/Piglet%20Processing%20Protocol.pdf
  4. Nixon, E. et al., (2021) Comparative effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at castration and tail-docking in neonatal piglets. PloS One, 16(11), e0254409. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254409
  5. Widowski & Torrey (2012) Neonatal Management Practices Factsheet, p. 1.
  6. Nixon, E. et al., (2021), p. 2. [“Castration and tail docking are often performed simultaneously…”]
  7. USDA (2011) Swine Industry Manual, Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness & Response Plan (FAD PReP), table 3, p. 10. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/emergency_management/downloads/documents_manuals/swine_industry_manual.pdf [Advises that tail docking, castration, and teeth clipping be carried out from 2 to 5 days of age]

It is the removal of most of the piglet’s tail, leaving ½ to 1 inch as measured from the base of the tail.[1-3] This is referred to by the industry as tail docking and is done with clippers, pliers, scissors, a scalpel, or a cauterizing iron.[4]

 

  1. Sutherland, M. A., & Tucker, C. B. (2011). The long and short of it: A review of tail docking in farm animals. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 135(3), 179-191, p. 183.
  2. Widowski & Torrey (2012) Neonatal Management Practices Factsheet, Pork Information Gateway. https://porkgateway.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/neonatal-management-practices1.pdf
  3. Morrison, R. & Hemsworth, P. (2020) Tail Docking of Piglets 1: Stress Response to Tail Docking, Animals (Basel), 10(9): 1701, p. 2.
  4. Sutherland, M. A., & Tucker, C. B. (2011), p. 183.

Tail amputation is a common industry practice, performed on both female and male piglets. Virtually all piglets in commercial production undergo the procedure.[1-3] “Currently about 95% of pigs in the United States are tail-docked within the first 10 days after birth to prevent tail biting outbreaks.”[4]

Piglets’ tails are cut off within a few days or a week of birth, often done along with castration and/or teeth clipping.[5,6]

Of the more than 167 million pigs slaughtered and dying per year, almost all will undergo tail amputation, about 1,300 each minute of each working day.[7]

 

  1. Temple Grandin (ed.) (2021) Painful Husbandry Procedures in Livestock and Poultry. In Improving animal welfare: a practical approach, 3rd ed., CAB International, Boston, MA. p. 190. [Tail docking estimated occurrence “in virtually all management systems.”]
  2. Nixon, E. et al., (2021) Comparative effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at castration and tail-docking in neonatal piglets. PloS One, 16(11), e0254409, pp. 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254409
  3. Sutherland, M. A., & Tucker, C. B. (2011). The long and short of it: A review of tail docking in farm animals. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 135(3), 179-191, p. 180. [“Tail docking is routinely conducted on pig farms worldwide to reduce tail biting behaviour.”]
  4. Sutherland, M. A. (2015). Welfare implications of invasive piglet husbandry procedures, methods of alleviation and alternatives: a review. New Zealand veterinary journal, 63(1), 52-57. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25204203/ [“Iron administration, teeth clipping, tail docking and castration are common invasive husbandry procedures performed on piglets on commercial farms, generally within the first week of life.”]
  5. USDA (2011) Swine Industry Manual, Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness & Response Plan (FAD PReP), table 3, p. 10.
  6. In 2023, ~167 million pig were slaughtered or died before slaughter (see, Total Animal Slaughtered & Dying). 166,906,100 / 250 = 654,224 per day / 480 = 1,362 per minute.

Nearly all male pigs destined for slaughter are castrated.[1,2] A large percentage of consumers report that meat from an uncastrated male has an unpleasant odor called boar taint.[3] And because of this, the USDA imposes strict regulatory constraints on whether FSIS inspectors can allow an intact boar who exhibits any boar taint to be slaughtered for human consumption.[4] For that reason “it is necessary for producers to avoid the development of this meat quality issue.”[5]

Of the more than 167 million pigs slaughtered or dying in the animal ag system each year, slightly fewer than half are castrated. Only those few males selected for mating or those that die before they can be castrated avoid the procedure.

Nationwide, approximately 695 pigs are castrated each minute of each working day.[6]

 

  1. Rault, J. L. et al., USDA Livestock Behavior Research Unit (2011) Castration-induced Pain in Pigs and Other Livestock, Farm Animal Welfare Fact Sheet. [“Data on the exact prevalence of castration is lacking, but in swine, we know that 100% and 80% of male piglets are castrated in the United States and European Union, respectively.”]
  2. Wagner, B. et al., (2020). Identifying Barriers to Implementing Pain Management for Piglet Castration: A Focus Group of Swine Veterinarians. Animals (Basel), 10(7), 1202, p. 1. [“Castration is used to improve meat quality, and as a result, nearly all male pigs destined for slaughter in the US will be castrated.”]
  3. American Veterinary Medical Assoc. (2013) Literature Review on the Welfare Implications of Swine Castration, p. 1. https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/resources/swine_castration_bgnd.pdf
  4. 9 CFR Part 311 Disposal of Diseased or Otherwise Adulterated Carcasses and Parts, [§ 311.20(a): Carcasses of swine which give off a pronounced sexual odor shall be condemned. § 311.20(b): The meat of swine carcasses which give off a sexual odor less than pronounced may be passed for use in comminuted cooked meat food product or for rendering. Otherwise it shall be condemned.]
  5. Jacobs, L. & Neary J. (2020) Castration in the U.S. Swine Industry: Animal Welfare Implications and Alternatives, Virginia Cooperative Extension, VA State Univ., p. 1. https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/APSC/APSC-174/APSC-174.pdf [“Boar taint is actually prohibited by food quality regulations in most countries, the U.S. included, meaning that meat with boar taint cannot be sold directly to the consumer.”]
  6. In 2023, ~167 million pig were slaughtered or died before slaughter (see, Total Animal Slaughtered & Dying). 166,906,100 / 2 = 83,453,050 male pigs castrated. Using a 250-day work year = 333,812 per day or 695 per minute.

The most common method in the U.S. is surgical castration. Piglets are restrained manually or placed in a castration stand, then “either two vertical cuts or one horizontal cut is made to the skin of the scrotum, and the testes are removed by cutting the spermatic cord with a scalpel or pulling until the cord tears.”[1] The procedure is generally done in the first week of life.[2,3]

A second method is immunocastration which involves one or two injections, given somewhat later (starting around 9 weeks of age), that suppress testicular function.[4,5] This method is considered temporary and according to our understanding, is not widely used in the U.S. due to concerns over efficacy, labor costs, certification requirements, and human safety.[6,7]

 

  1. American Veterinary Medical Assoc. (2013) Literature Review on the Welfare Implications of Swine Castration, p. 1. https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/resources/swine_castration_bgnd.pdf
  2. Rault, J. L. et al., USDA Livestock Behavior Research Unit (2011) Castration-induced Pain in Pigs and Other Livestock, Farm Animal Welfare Fact Sheet. [“In swine, castration is usually conducted within the first few days of life.”]
  3. USDA (2011) Swine Industry Manual, Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness & Response Plan (FAD PReP), table 3, p. 10. [Advises that castration be carried out from 2 to 5 days of age.]
  4. Literature Review on the Welfare Implications of Swine Castration, pp. 1-2.
  5. USDA Research, Education & Economics Information System (July 1, 2022) Single Injection Alternative to surgical castration in pigs. https://portal.nifa.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/1028502-single-injection-alternative-to-surgical-castration-in-pigs.html
  6. Jacobs, L. & Neary J. (2020) Castration in the U.S. Swine Industry: Animal Welfare Implications and Alternatives, Virginia Cooperative Extension, VA State Univ., p. 2.
  7. USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service (2023) Instructions for Verification of Immunologically Castrated Hogs During Ante-Mortem Inspection, FSIS Directive 6100.8 Rev. 2, 

In the U.S., anesthesia or pain medication is rarely used.[1-4] In fact, the USDA has not approved any pain medications for pigs, so pain relief must be used “off-label” with very specific requirements for usage and documentation.[5,6]

 

  1. Wagner, B. et al., (2020). Identifying Barriers to Implementing Pain Management for Piglet Castration: A Focus Group of Swine Veterinarians. Animals (Basel), 10(7), 1202, p. 5. [“However, observational experiences in the industry suggest it is uncommon for pain management to be provided before or during the castration procedure in the US, and there are no studies to date that provide prevalence data on pain management practices for castration in the US.”]
  2. Jacobs, L. & Neary J. (2020) Castration in the U.S. Swine Industry: Animal Welfare Implications and Alternatives, Virginia Cooperative Extension, VA State Univ., p. 1. [“Currently, castrated piglets do not receive any pain relief or sedatives.”]
  3. Sutherland, M. A., & Tucker, C. B. (2011). The long and short of it: A review of tail docking in farm animals. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 135(3), 179-191, p. 183. [“Pigs are commonly tail docked without analgesia or anaesthesia.”]
  4. Kleinhenz, M. D. et al., (2021). Invited review: on-farm pain management of food production animals. Applied Animal Science, 37(1), 77-87, p. 81. [“Piglet processing procedures are known to be painful; however, without approved analgesia options in the United States, pain management is not routinely provided.”]
  5. Wagner, B. et al., (2020), p. 2. [“… in the US, swine veterinarians do not have access to an FDA-approved drug for pain relief in swine. In fact, swine veterinarians can only prescribe pharmaceuticals regulated under the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act of 1994 to mitigate pain in an extralabel manner.”]
  6. Jacobs, L. & Neary J. (2020), p. 1. [“Currently, castrated piglets do not receive any pain relief or sedatives; in fact, none are approved for such commercial use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).”]

The routine procedure of trimming or grinding piglets’ teeth is known in the industry as resection or teeth clipping. It is done purportedly to protect the sow and littermates from injuries caused by piglets’ baby needle teeth.[1] Though the industry term may conjure an image of a painless removal of the tips of the teeth, in fact the process involves eight piglet teeth, each of which “can be fully clipped by removing the entire tooth to the gum line using a pair of side-cutter pliers or partially clipped by removing only a third to half of the tooth.”[2,3] Alternatively, teeth can be ground down, though this is apparently a more time-consuming process.[4]

Though teeth clipping is often reported as becoming less common, we have little information about how widely it is done. Most reports include teeth clipping in their descriptions of routine piglet “processing.” One source refers to it as “a common procedure in intensive pig systems” although “some large pig farms have eliminated the practice.”[5] The AVMA states that it is now carried out “selectively on individuals or litters.”[6]

All sources agree that piglets undergoing the process may experience cracked or shattered teeth, painful infections or abscesses, and gum and tongue injuries. And a review of multiple studies found that “it remains unclear whether teeth resection reduces injuries.”[7] As one researcher concluded after years of analysis, “The stated benefits of teeth clipping to prevent udder lesions do not appear to outweigh the risk from injury and infection in piglets following the procedure.”[8]

 

  1. American Veterinary Medical Assoc. (2014) Welfare Implications of Teeth Clipping, Tail Docking and Permanent Identification of Piglets, AVMA Literature Review, pp. 1-2.
  2. Widowski & Torrey (2012) Neonatal Management Practices Factsheet, Pork Information Gateway, p. 1. https://porkgateway.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/neonatal-management-practices1.pdf
  3. Michigan State Univ. Extension (2019) Piglet Processing, Standard Operating Procedures of Pork Producers, p. 2.
  4. Welfare Implications of Teeth Clipping, Tail Docking and Permanent Identification of Piglets, pp. 1-2. 
  5. Temple Grandin (ed.) (2021) Painful Husbandry Procedures in Livestock and Poultry. In Improving animal welfare: a practical approach, 3rd ed., CAB International, Boston, MA, p. 223.
  6. Welfare Implications of Teeth Clipping, Tail Docking and Permanent Identification of Piglets, pp. 1-2.
  7. Schmid, S. M., & Steinhoff-Wagner, J. (2022). Impact of Routine Management Procedures on the Welfare of Suckling Piglets. Veterinary Sciences, 9(1), 32, p. 10.[“After reviewing all studies, it remains unclear whether teeth resection reduces injuries. Face lesions have been observed to decline in most cases, but lip lesions can increase, mostly in piglets undergoing clipping, and often results in inflammatory responses that are noted even weeks after the procedures. Generally, clipped piglets demonstrate indicators of pain and many cases of open pulp chambers, gingivitis, and pulpitis. Piglets that underwent grinding also had open pulp chambers.”]
  8. Sutherland, M. A. (2015). Welfare implications of invasive piglet husbandry procedures, methods of alleviation and alternatives: a review. New Zealand veterinary journal, 63(1), 52-57. 

Various procedures used to identify individual piglets are performed within days of birth, such as ear tagging, ear notching, and tattooing.[1] Identification is required by the USDA for pigs that are moved interstate.[2,3]

Ear tagging is the predominant method in commercial operations.[4] Using a tool similar to a hole punch, a tag is attached near the center of the pig’s ear.[5]

Ear notching is primarily used by smaller breeders due to the labor and time required to cut the notches and read them.[6,7] The practice involves cutting approximately 6.5 mm (1/4 in.) deep notches into the ears using specifically made tools that cut out triangular pieces in designated/numbered locations in each ear. Several notches are likely to be made in each ear.[8]

Tattoos applied to the ear or back are also used.[9]

All of the above methods cause observable pain to the pigs.[10]

 

  1. Michigan State Univ. Extension (2019) Piglet Processing, Standard Operating Procedures of Pork Producers, pp. 3-4. https://www.canr.msu.edu/pork/uploads/Piglet%20Processing%20Protocol.pdf
  2. 9 CFR § 71.19 Identification of swine in interstate commerce.
  3. USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (2024) NVAP Reference Guide: Swine Identification. 
  4. Nordquist, R. E. et al., (2017). Mutilating procedures, management practices, and housing conditions that may affect the welfare of farm animals: Implications for welfare research. Animals (Basel), 7(2), 12–12, table 1, p. 5.
  5. Michigan State Univ. Extension (2019), p. 4.
  6. American Veterinary Medical Assoc. (2014) Welfare Implications of Teeth Clipping, Tail Docking and Permanent Identification of Piglets, p. 3. [“Due to the increased labor and time required to apply the ear notches and read them, this procedure is not commonly used in commercial settings.”]
  7. Widowski & Torrey (2012) Neonatal Management Practices Factsheet, Pork Information Gateway [“Ear notching allows for easy identification of pigs for breeding, health and performance records.]
  8. Widowski & Torrey (2012).
  9. Michigan State Univ. Extension (2019), p. 3.
  10. Schmid, S. M., & Steinhoff-Wagner, J. (2022). Impact of Routine Management Procedures on the Welfare of Suckling Piglets. Veterinary Sciences, 9(1), 32, p. 6. [“When ear tagging, ear notching, and the intraperitoneal injection of a transponder were compared, all three methods induced pain-related behaviors, as well as non-specific behaviors in piglets; however, pain-related activity was identified to be greater after ear notching and ear tagging.”]

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