Project background:

The “unstructured fully slatted system” in pig farming has come under public criticism, and it was partly against this background that the first animal husbandry regulation was amended in July 2022.

What is often overlooked is that as early as the end of 2019, representatives of the "Young Finishers" (a platform for networking young pig farmers) contacted the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Climate Protection (BMLUK) (Blaas) and the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein (Heidinger and Zentner). Their aim was to initiate a project to further develop existing pig housing systems. Similar to the "Pro-SAU" project, which evaluated new farrowing pens with exercise areas for the sow, the project aimed to foster collaboration between science and practice to jointly develop and investigate practical conversion solutions and housing improvements for piglet rearing and fattening.

Project goal:

The aim of this project was to comprehensively discuss conversion solutions for existing barns in conventional piglet rearing and fattening, focusing on improvements in animal welfare while considering economic factors, labor efficiency, and environmental impact (emissions, including the NEC Directive). In addition to innovations for the animals, a unique aspect of this project was the focus on the farmer as a person, as an animal keeper, and as a member of society.

Question:

How can existing housing systems in piglet rearing and pig fattening be improved, and what effects does this have on animals, humans, and the environment?

Project partners:

To address the diverse range of topics, a total of 6 work packages (see organizational chart) were established and handled by numerous institutions with broad expertise in pig farming:

• HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein (HBLFA Ra-Gu)
• University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU)
• Pig farming in Austria
• University of Agricultural and Environmental Education (HAUP)
• Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES)
• University of Rostock
• Messerli Institute Vienna
• LSB & Trainer

The project duration was planned from December 2021 to December 2025 and was financed by the BMLUK and the federal states.

Project operations & measures:

The project 15 practical farms (7 piglet rearing and 8 fattening farms) as well as the research barn for fattening pigs of the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein .

were implemented for each company Individual “packages of measures” ; these included:

• more space per animal (0.4 m²ⁱⁿ piglet rearing and 0.8 m²ⁱⁿ fattening, or +0.1 m²^difference to the existing situation on the farm)
• larger pens (approx. 10 m²ⁱⁿ rearing, approx. 20 m²ⁱⁿ fattening)
• Setting up functional areas: Designing a lying area on at least 1/3 of the bay area, e.g. by reducing the amount of perforation, using rubber mats, etc.
• Cooling option (fattening) or temperature zone formation (piglet rearing)
• Additional enrichment material (changeable, chewable, burrowable, edible)

In each farm, one or two pens or a compartment were converted, and a comparison was made with the unconverted pens or compartments for control purposes. In the "Animal Work Package," the effects of the conversion measures on the pigs were evaluated using animal-related indicators, behavioral observations, and treatment data. To determine the economic and labor-related changes, the "Economics and Labor Management Work Package" established. This package included relevant surveys (e.g., conversion costs, biological performance) and calculations to determine the economic impact of higher animal welfare standards compared to the baseline (previous minimum standard). In the "Practical Work Package," , barn design concepts were developed, regular opportunities for exchange between the participating farms were offered, and the exchange between science and practice, as well as advisory services, was promoted.

A unique aspect of the project, the "Human Work Package," focused on the participating farming families: Workshops and surveys explored questions such as their motivation to adapt the barn and the impact on work quality, as well as discussions about societal demands and the hostility they frequently experience.

As part of the "Work Package Barn Climate and Environmental Impacts," barn climate studies were conducted at the 15 participating farms. Additionally, the fattening pig research barn at the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein offered the unique opportunity to measure gaseous emissions. Any changes in the emission potential of converted barns are particularly relevant with regard to building permits and, concerning ammonia, the NEC Directive.

The sixth and final work package focused on "Communication and Public Relations." In this package, the transfer of knowledge from the project into agricultural practice was accelerated in collaboration with experts in agricultural and food-related communication (Land schafft Leben, Esserwisser, AMA-Marketing). Targeted educational efforts were also undertaken regarding pig farming to promote understanding and acceptance among segments of society less familiar with agriculture. In this context, a dedicated project website and social media channels were established, through which current project information was published.

Project homepage: https://short.boku.ac.at/IBeSt

Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/ibest_schwein/

https://www.facebook.com/p/IBeSt-Zum-Wohl-von-Tier-Mensch-61554100156175/?_rdr

Selected results:

The project's final report is very comprehensive, containing all the results of the work packages – here are some key findings:

• The involvement of working farms in this "multi-farm study" was essential to obtain valid findings and practical solutions. Participating farms played a pioneering role : their insights are crucial for targeted knowledge transfer within the industry and thus for sustainable and successful implementation on a broad scale.
• Based on positive feedback from project participants, considering the "human factor" is recommended for future research projects. To successfully navigate a path of change, it is crucial farmers as individuals to support and listen to their voices .
• Adapting and managing housing systems involves costs: the additional expenses and changes in income contribution vary considerably between farms. Reduced occupancy in the pens due to the increased space requirements plays a key role in this.
• The investigations in the unique in Austria, provided a significant complement to those conducted on commercial farms. The emission measurements taken are of central importance for barn construction permitting and appeal procedures. Regarding odor, ammonia (NEC guideline), and particulate matter, no legally relevant differences found between the IBeSt pens and the control pen (meeting the previous minimum standard).
• The practical experience generated in the research barn, together with that from practical farms, is incorporated into a catalog of experience and made information and consulting tool available
• The package of measures had mostly small but significant positive effects, with hardly any negative effects or no impact on some indicators (farm-specific, especially rearing). Particularly noteworthy is the reduced incidence of tail biting and the lower prevalence of tail injuries in fattening, which point to positive effects of the measures.

With all these important findings, one thing is clear: there will no longer be a "one-size-fits-all" system in pig farming. The impetus provided by the project, along with the legally implemented new minimum standards, will lead to numerous innovations on farms and significantly diversify pig farming in Austria .

Pictures:

Film:

Final report