May 19, 2008

EU scientists to study long pig transports

Scientists from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Aarhus have set out to discover more about pig behaviour when the animals are being transported over long distances.

In the EU, pigs may be transported for 24 hours at a time at the most, after which they must have a rest for at least 24 hours.

The cycle can be repeated another 24 hours.

The scientists will study pig behaviour during transport in several ways, among others using video monitoring of the pigs in the transport vehicle.

The study is expected to contribute new knowledge that can be used to improve Danish and European legislation.

There are many rules regarding transport of pigs and other animals, but the rules are not always based on concrete knowledge of the animals' behaviour and welfare in the transport situation, said senior scientist Lise Dybkjær from the Department of Animal Health, Welfare and Nutrition at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Aarhus. Knowledge in this area is non-existant when it comes to very long pig transports, she added.

The project, which is the first of its kind in Denmark, is a collaboration between the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, the Danish Meat Association, and the SPF transport company, and is financed by the Pig Levy Fund.

Animal transports became a topical issue in Denmark last year as transport companies were caught breaking the transport rules.