Inquiry clears piggery over welfare code

A Horowhenua piggery targeted by animal welfare activists has been cleared of any welfare code breaches.

Agriculture Ministry investigators visited the piggery of former Pork Industry Board director Colin Kay two months ago after footage broadcast on television showed animals chewing the bars of their small crates and frothing at the mouth.

Mr Kay blamed the activists for distressing the animals at his 240-sow Kuku Beach Rd piggery, near Levin, saying turning lights on at night and sprinkling meal around would make them squeal. "They thought they were going to be fed," he said.

The ministry's findings that he had not breached the code of welfare for pigs were a relief, but came as no surprise, he said.

"It is what I expected. I am glad the report vindicated the piggery. It is a reflection on the ability of the farm manager and the staff."

The report stated that the standards of animal husbandry, stockmanship and care were very high at the piggery and that "observations of resting dry sows did not support contentions of pigs in distress.

"While the present tone of public sentiment may be strongly disapproving of intensively housed and reared pigs, the fact is we found no evidence on this property of non-compliance with or breaches of the Animal Welfare (Pigs) Code of Welfare (2005) in its current form," the report said.

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, which advises ministers, is considering a review of the 2005 pig code.

Although Mr Kay believed keeping sows in crates was the best way of managing them, group housing in which sows could walk into feeding stations would be used in a new piggery he planned to build near Foxton.

Last year he gained consent for a 48,000-sow piggery at Foxton Beach, starting with 800 sows and expanding if compliance criteria were met. He said construction would begin at the start of next year.

- © Fairfax NZ News