IATP Hog Report - Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

Section 6
has been the basis of laws in Europe and Scandinavia that require animal
production systems to be designed and managed so as to allow animals to
behave naturally, according to species-specific needs. For example,
Sweden's 1988 Farm Animal Protection Acts specifies that housing and
management should be designed and conducted so as to allow farm
animals to perform most of their natural behaviors. 16 Swedish farmers
express this philosophy as "fitting the system to the animal instead of
fitting the animal to the system."
Pigs are curious and resourceful animals, ranking behind humans,
primates, and dolphins (and before dogs) in learning ability. They enjoy
novelty. They are gregarious and social and communicate constantly with
each other. 19 Scientists have identified over twenty different vocalizations,
although the purpose of them all is not known. 20 Pigs seek out and enjoy
close contact with each other and with friendly people. They are clean
animals, dunging as far away from feeding and nesting areas as possible,
but because their sweat glands are inadequate, they often seek out mud or
water in which to coat their skin or to bathe. 21,22 Pigs are good swimmers.
Their snouts are highly developed sense organs and were made for
foraging, nibbling, manipulating objects, and rooting in the soil for
morsels of food.
In the pig parks, scientists observed that pigs were very active during the
day, foraging, socializing, and exploring their environment. 23 They
maintained social organization and built nests for night rest. Sows isolated
themselves, gathered materials, and built nests before giving birth. 24,25
Nestbuilding and farrowing behaviors are regulated by hormonal activity,
meaning that sows are compelled by their biological nature to perform
them. 26 Sows finding more sheltered sites built less elaborate nests than
sows whose nestsites were more open to the elements, however, indicating
that nestbuilding is not entirely driven from within but that the sow
responds appropriately to cues from the environment. 27 In the wild,
finding a secure nest site away from the group avoided accidental injury to
piglets by other members of the group and allowed the piglets to bond
with the mother, contributing to the survival of the group and of the
species.
Sows also managed the socialization and integration of their piglets into a
larger group of sows and piglets when the piglets were strong enough to
abandon the nest. This social integration process lasted up to eight weeks
after birth. 28 Smaller family groups consisted of two or more sows and
their young. Littermates formed relationships that persisted after
weaning. 29 Playfighting while they were young taught piglets how to
manage aggression when they became adults.
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