Practical experience with long tails

The aim of the Tail Challenge was to gain an understanding of the measures, preconditions and costs involved in rearing pigs with uncut tails. Extensive practical experience was gained during the project.

By the end of the project, all participating farms were rearing their pigs exclusively with long tails. The project thus demonstrates that it is possible to successfully manage uncut tails under real-world conditions.

Valuable knowledge and resources

The Tail Challenge has yielded various practical resources and insights. These include a decision tree for tail-biting and ‘Tail Talks’ videos featuring real-world examples. Greater insight has also been gained into the extra labour and attention required to prevent tail-biting.

A key conclusion is that success with long tails does not depend on a single measure. It requires a combination of expertise, good animal health, adequate pen enrichment, an appropriate feeding strategy, a good housing climate and the timely recognition of signs of distress. Extra attention to animal monitoring, behavioural observation and early intervention has proved essential in this regard.

Cooperation within the supply chain

The project also demonstrates that further upscaling does not depend solely on the pig farmer. Successful further roll-out requires clear agreements within the supply chain. These include clear guidelines on transport suitability, standardised recording of tail length and tail condition at the slaughter line, and appropriate compensation for the extra efforts made by pig farmers.

With the knowledge and experience gained, the Tail Challenge is making a significant contribution to the further development of rearing pigs with unclipped tails in the Netherlands.

100% long tails: not a given, but certainly possible.