They are intelligent, curious and sociable animals, yet the pork industry does not see them that way.
Pork production in Brazil
pigs slaughtered per year
breeding sows
4th largest producer and exporter in the world
Source: ABPA 2023 - reference year 2022
As another industry that confines animals, pig farming treats sows as mere pork production machines and subjects piglets to mutilation in their first days of life.
Understand this indigestible reality so we can extend our help to them.
Females used for reproduction are kept in individual metal crates so narrow that they cannot even turn around.
This lack of space is harmful to their muscles, joints, bones, paws, and health in general.
They are deprived of social contact, which can cause extreme boredom and distress. At this stage, they still have restricted feeding to prevent excessive weight gain while the piglets develop in the uterus, which means they suffer from chronic hunger.
When they are about to give birth, sows are moved to another barn and housed in crates very similar to those for gestation, but with space on the sides to accommodate the piglets.
During this phase, sows become very frustrated, as they instinctively want a quiet and secluded place to build their nest, ensuring that the piglets are born in a safe and comfortable environment. However, they are confined in crates, unable to exhibit their maternal behavior.
Although the crates supposedly serve to prevent sows from crushing their offspring, this remains the leading cause of piglets’ death in the maternity ward, meaning it is not efficient.
To enhance the sensory quality of the meat and reduce aggressive behavior, male piglets are surgically castrated without anesthesia.
Carried out to prevent injuries to the teats of lactating sows and prevent piglets biting each other’s tails.
Caudectomy is performed to prevent tail biting by other piglets. This behavior occurs mainly due to the high number of piglets housed in the same pen, in addition to the poor environment lacking stimulation.
Ear notching is carried out for individual animal identification and subsequent traceability. Like all other procedures, it is performed without anesthesia or analgesia.
Antimicrobials are added to the feed to help pigs absorb more nutrients and gain weight faster.
These medications can also be applied to prevent diseases, as the crowded and confined environment increases the risk of spreading bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
This indiscriminate use can generate resistant bacteria (superbugs), compromising the treatment of diseases in pigs and humans.
In addition to offering more comfort, the ban on individual crates allows for socialization and environmental exploration.
● Perform immunocastration (painless method) or use anesthetics;
● Ban teeth clipping;
● Ban tail docking, or cut a maximum of ⅓ using anesthetics;
● Ban ear notching and use alternative methods such as tattooing, ear tags or microchips.
Alianima works to improve the lives of pigs.
To achieve this, we work collaboratively with producers, the food industry and government authorities, ensuring animal welfare policies that address the points above.
All of our work has a technical-scientific basis, with a technical team specialized in animal welfare.
Learn about some of our approaches:
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