ANNEX

CHAPTER I GENERAL CONDITIONS 1. Materials used for the construction of housing, particularly stalls and equipment with which the pigs may come into contact, must not be harmful to the pigs and must be capable of being thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. 2. Until Community rules are laid down on the matter, electrical circuits and equipment must be installed in accordance with national rules in force so as to avoid electric shocks. 3. Insulation, heating and ventilation of the building must ensure that air circulation, dust level, temperature, relative air humidity and gas concentrations are kept within limits which are not harmful to the pigs. 4. All automated or mechanical equipment essential for the pigs' health and welfare must be inspected at least once daily. Where defects are discovered, these must be rectified immediately or, if this is impossible, appropriate steps must be taken to safeguard the health and well-being of the pigs until the defect has been rectified, notably by using alternative methods of feeding and maintaining a satisfactory environment. Where an artificial ventilation system is used, provision must be made for an appropriate back-up system to guarantee sufficient air renewal to preserve the health and well-being of the pigs in the event of failure of the system, and an alarm system must be provided to warn the stock-keeper of the failure. The alarm system must be tested regularly. 5. Pigs must not be kept permanently in darkness. To meet their behavioural and physiological needs, provision must be made, allowing for the different climatic conditions in the Member States, for appropriate natural or artificial lighting; if the latter, it must function for a period at least equivalent to the period of natural light normally available between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. In addition, suitable lighting (fixed or portable) strong enough to allow the pigs to be inspected at any time must be available. 6. All pigs reared in groups or in stalls must be inspected by the owner or the person responsible for the animals at least once a day. Any pig which appears to be ill or injured must be treated appropriately without delay. It should be possible, wherever necessary, to isolate sick or injured pigs in adequate accommodation with dry, comfortable bedding. Veterinary advice must be obtained as soon as possible for pigs which are not responding to the stock-keeper's care. 7. If pigs are kept together, measures must be taken to prevent fighting which goes beyond normal behaviour. Pigs which show persistent aggression towards others or are victims of such aggression must be isolated or kept separate from the group. 8. The accommodation for pigs must be constructed in such a way as to allow each pig to: lie down, rest and stand up without difficulty, have a clean place in which it can rest, see other pigs. 9. Where tethers are used, they must not cause injury to the pigs and must be inspected regularly and adjusted as necessary to ensure a comfortable fit. Each tether shall be of sufficient length to allow the pigs to move as stipulated in paragraph 8. The design must be such as to avoid, as far as possible, any risk of strangulation or injury. 10. Housing, pens, equipment and utensils used for pigs must be properly cleaned and disinfected to prevent cross-infection and the build-up of disease-carrying organisms. Faeces, urine and uneaten or spilt food must be removed as often as necessary to reduce smell and avoid attracting flies or rodents. 11. Floors must be smooth but not slippery so as to prevent injury to the pigs and so designed as not to cause injury or suffering to pigs standing or lying on them. They must be suitable for the size and weight of the pigs and form a rigid, even and stable surface. The lying area must be comfortable, clean and adequately drained and must not adversely affect the pigs. Where bedding is provided, this must be clean, dry and not harmful to the pigs. 12. All pigs must be provided with a diet appropriate to their age, weight and behavioural and physiological needs, to promote a positive state of health and well-being. 13. All pigs must be fed at least once a day. Where pigs are housed in groups and not fed ad libitum, or by an automatic feeding system, each pig must have access to the food at the same time as the others in the group. 14. All pigs over two weeks of age must have access to a sufficient quantity of fresh water or be able to satisfy their fluid intake needs by drinking other liquids. 15. Feeding and watering equipment must be designed, constructed, placed and maintained so that contamination of the pigs' feed and water is minimized. 16. In addition to the measures normally taken to prevent tail-biting and other vices and in order to enable them to satisfy their behavioural needs, all pigs, taking into account environment and stocking density, must be able to obtain straw or any other suitable material or object. CHAPTER II SPECIFIC PROVISIONS FOR VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF PIGS BOARS Boar pens must be sited and constructed so as to allow the boar to turn round and to hear, smell and see other pigs, and to provide for clean resting areas. The lying area must be dry and comfortable. The minimum pen size for an adult boar shall be 6 m$. However, a larger area must be provided where pens are used for service. II. SOWS AND GILTS 1. Pregnant sows and gilts must, if necessary, be treated against external and internal parasites. If they are placed in farrowing crates, pregnant sows and gilts must be thoroughly cleaned. 2. They must be provided with a clean, adequately drained, comfortable lying area and must, if necessary, be given suitable nesting material. 3. An unobstructed area behind the sow or gilt must be available for the ease of natural or assisted farrowing. 4. Farrowing crates where sows are kept loose must have some means of protecting the piglets, such as farrowing rails. III. PIGLETS 1. If necessary, piglets must be provided with a source of heat and a solid, dry and comfortable lying area away from the sow where all of them can rest at the same time. 2. Where a farrowing crate is used, the piglets must have sufficient space to be able to be suckled without difficulty. 3. If practised, the castration of male pigs aged over four weeks may be carried out only under anaesthetic by a veterinarian or a person qualified in accordance with national legislation. 4. Neither tail docking nor tooth clipping must be carried out routinely but only when there is evidence, on the farm, that injuries to sows' teats or to other pigs' ears or tails have occurred as a result of not carrying out these procedures. Where tooth clipping appears necessary, this must be carried out within seven days of birth. 5. Piglets must not be weaned from the sow at less than three weeks of age unless the welfare or health of the dam or piglets would otherwise be adversely affected. IV. WEANERS AND REARING PIGS Pigs must be placed in groups as soon as possible after weaning. They should be kept in stable groups with as little mixing as possible.

← (2) · All articles · anx_1__para →

Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-06 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.