Early indicators for tail biting in pigs

Should pigs in the EU keep the end of their tails, or should tails be docked in the 1st days of the pigs’ lives to reduce risk of tail biting? The subject is widely discussed which also underlines that there is no easy answer. However, there is work in progress and so are some very promising results, writes pig welfare expert Vivi Aarestrup Moustsen. Recently, my colleague Helle Pelant Lahrmann, defended her PhD-thesis called, ‘Tail biting out-break in pigs – prevalence, early detection a