Spain: New animal welfare regulations published

The Official State Gazette (BOE) has just published Royal Decree 159/2023 of March 7, amending several animal welfare regulations.

Regarding pigs, amendments to Royal Decree 1135/2002 of October 31, 2002, have been made in terms of the minimum standards for the protection of pigs to establish more specific requirements. Specifically, there are new values for the maximum density of animals in farms and new conditions regarding feeding, water, feeders, environmental conditions, and the availability of manipulable material for the animals. The ultimate goal is to reduce the need for tail docking of pigs. Existing farms will have two years to make the necessary adaptations.

Some of the amendments include:

• Changes in available floor space per animal:

• Environmental conditions:
  • Limits for gas concentrations are introduced, measured at the height of the animals' heads, which are not to exceed:
    • 20 ppm of ammonia.
    • 3,000 ppm of carbon dioxide.
    • The licensee must have monthly monitoring records to verify that the specified values are not exceeded, as well as indicate the measures taken in the event of non-compliance with these parameters.
• Feeding:
  • To provide a sufficient amount of bulking or fiber-rich feed to satisfy the hunger of gilts, post-weaned sows, and pregnant sows, it is specified that they should receive a diet with a minimum of 15% neutral detergent fiber content.
• Water:
  • In grouped animals, one drinking station for every twelve pigs should be provided, at a height appropriate to the height of the animal. If the animals are fed liquid or wet feed, the number of drinking stations can be reduced by 50%.
• Regarding procedures that result in injury or loss of a sensitive body part or alteration of bone structure:
  • In the case of partial tail docking, it is specified that the residual tail length should, as a minimum, cover the vulva in females and the anal sphincter in males.
    • Prior to docking, measures shall be taken to prevent caudophagy and other vices, taking into account environmental conditions and stocking density. For this reason, environmental conditions or management systems must be modified if they prove to be inadequate. Such modification must be documented.
  • Only a veterinarian or a trained person with experience in the execution of the applied techniques can perform them. If castration or tail docking is performed after the seventh day of life, it should only be carried out under anesthesia and prolonged analgesia by veterinary personnel.

March 8, 2023/ BOE/ Spain.
https://www.boe.es