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Wiebke Wellbrock presents Poster 82 during the poster sessions in the Aula.
Session theme 6: Free topics
154
Poster 82
PIG WELFARE IN CROATIA: A CRITICAL REFLECTION ON THE EU
WELFARE DIRECTIVES
W. Wellbrock 1 , S.J. Oosting 1 , B.B. Bock 2
1
Animal Production Systems Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen,
The Netherlands
2
Rural Sociology Group, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The
Netherlands
Binding EU directives aim to ensure a basic and uniform standard of pig welfare throughout the
European Union. Also EU candidate countries must comply with European welfare standards. The
EU directives are designed to ensure pig welfare in intensive housing systems but in candidate
countries, such as Croatia, non-intensive, smallholder farms often prevail. Croatia does not yet
comply with EU welfare standards. The aim of this study was to investigate how and why pig
welfare in Croatia does not conform to EU welfare directives.
In this explorative study, seven smallholdings (< 10 pigs), five middle sized farms (10-99 pigs) and
four large farms (≥100 pigs) were purposively selected throughout Croatia to investigate pig
welfare by using direct and indirect measures of farm animal welfare. Direct assessment tools
included e.g. lesion, cleanliness and fear scores and indirect measures included e.g. pen size,
flooring and ventilation scores. Results were analysed using non-parametric tests for correlation and
independence. To understand the present welfare conditions, semi-structured interviews with 17
farmers and eight representatives of public authorities gave insight into pig welfare perceptions
while legislative differences between Croatia and the EU were addressed with a literature study.
Results of the welfare assessment question whether divergences of EU directives at small and
middle sized farms are an indication of lower animal welfare. For instance, cleanliness of the pigs
increased and frequencies of lesions decreased with decreasing farm size. Also, provision of
bedding increased with decreasing farm size and was positively correlated with cleanliness and
negatively correlated with lesion frequency.
EU welfare directives and scientific assessment tools may not be suitable to account for a general
assessment of pig welfare in EU candidate countries. Different approaches to animal welfare
assessment may be necessary to ensure a basic standard of animal welfare in Croatia and other
(European) countries with predominantly smallholder farming systems.
Contact information: Wiebke Wellbrock or email wiebke.wellbrock@wur.nl
Complete address: Department of Animal Sciences, Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen
University, Marijkeweg 40, 6709 PG Wageningen, The Netherlands
Species: Pig