Pig barn climate in the spotlight

The climate in pig houses is becoming a 'hot item' for the inspectors of the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). From 1 January they use the 5 characteristics of a good barn climate for inspections. The NVWA reported this on 4 January.

"The temperature and air quality are important for the welfare and health of the animals. A good climate in the barn ensures that the animals are less in each other's bite tails and earssaid the NVWA.

Ensuring a good stable climate
According to the NVWA, the climate must not be harmful to the animal. The pig farmers are allowed to decide for themselves how they ensure a good climate. To help them with this, Wageningen Livestock Research has identified 5 characteristics that provide an indication of the barn climate. These are:

• The concentration of carbon dioxide and ammonia in the air,
• The degree of redness and/or soiling in the eyes,
• The degree of soiling of animals, 
• The degree of ear biting,
• The degree of tail biting.

If an inspection reveals that the barn climate is not in order, the pig farmer must take measures to improve the barn climate. The result may be that the NVWA will issue fines.

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