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No Tail Docking of Our Pigs

By Frances Flower, August 9, 2012  |  Meet the Blogger  |  More Posts by Frances Flower

One of the most iconic features of pigs is their curly tails. In fact, they even wag their tails when they are happy or excited. What you may not realize is there aren’t many pigs running around with tails these days.

Sadly, the majority of today’s pigs have their tails removed when they are just a few days to a few weeks old.  Farmers call this tail docking or clipping. The reason? Tail biting. Some pigs repeatedly chew and bite the tails of other pigs, which can lead to painful injuries. The reasons for this tail-biting behavior are complex and there are many contributing factors, but it’s commonly found in pigs housed indoors where stocking densities are high and the pens are barren.

But at Whole Foods Market®, we do things a little differently. Not only do our pork suppliers have to meet our Whole Foods Market’s meat requirements of no animal byproducts in feed and no antibiotics – ever, but we also require all our suppliers to be certified to the Global Animal Partnership’s 5-Step™ Animal Welfare Rating Program. One of those standards (and there are over 110 standards for pork suppliers!) is that routine tail docking is prohibited. That means our pigs are raised with their curly tails intact!

If you’re wondering if these pigs experience lots of tail biting, I’m here to tell you, they don’t! That’s because Global Animal Partnership standards focus on animal welfare. It’s required that pigs are given lots of bedding in their pens (not usually provided at conventional farms) and have the space they need to move around without being crammed together. Plus, farrowing and gestation crates are never used.

At Step 2 and higher, pigs are provided enrichments, such as straw or hay bales, which encourage them to root around. It’s well known that in natural settings pigs will spend up to 50% of their day rooting and foraging for food, so these enrichments really encourage their natural behavior to shine. By giving them extra space and an enriched environment, the pigs don’t spend time chewing each other’s tails. A win-win for the pigs!

We don’t think tail docking is necessary and we support Global Animal Partnership’s standards that prohibit it. What do you think?

Category: Meat, Animal Welfare
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11 Comments

Comments

Danielle says ...
That is so awesome! I am buying all my pork from you guys from now on! Keep up the good work! ;-)
08/09/2012 11:38:22 AM CDT
Brynne says ...
It is also standard practice for factory-farmed pigs to be castrated without anaesthesia. Are the fully-tailed pigs spared that procedure? I clicked onto the "Standards" link, but did not see relevant information.
08/09/2012 2:46:30 PM CDT
nikki.newman says ...
@BRYNNE - Thanks for an interesting question. In general, pigs are castrated to prevent boar taint – an unpleasant taste in the meat. The GAP 5-Step standards do allow castration at Steps 1-4, with specific requirements on age and method; because animals heal quicker at very young ages the standard requires this practice to be done before piglets reach 7 days of age, but currently there is no pain relief required by the program.
08/10/2012 10:24:23 AM CDT
Nyah says ...
ok but you still kill these pigs and that's Awwfull
08/10/2012 11:35:01 AM CDT
FN says ...
That's great! I always feel a little guilty about eating animals but I just can't give up meat. The least we could do is make their living conditions better - and it benefits us too. Kudos for setting an example for the industry and showing that customers care about animal welfare.
08/13/2012 10:44:56 AM CDT
Justin says ...
This is the way it should be for ALL farms that supply meat to grocery stores or individuals; just imagine the high quality of food you would get from well-treated animals! Even if one isn't vegetarian or vegan, one can still appreciate companies who champion animal rights even as they are selling them as meat products. Good job, Whole Foods! If only more major supermarket chains conducted business the way you do... Animals who are treated positively throughout their lifespan are more likely to produce healthy, high-quality meat than those that are treated like commodities instead of living, intelligent beings.
09/09/2012 1:51:06 PM CDT
Nikki - Community Moderator says ...
@JUSTIN - Thanks! We we love if this form of animal welfare caught on across the entire food industry!
09/10/2012 11:56:11 AM CDT
Tiffany says ...
glad that these pigs are well taken care and are kept in clean and happy enviroments! will deffinitley be shopping here for all my groceries!:)
09/14/2012 4:18:11 PM CDT
simon says ...
I have a question about slaughtering the animals, how is it done in a kosher style or halal style or are they stunned and then slaughtered. I like the way the animals are treated when alive, that is why i buy my meat from local farmers and i know that they do not use antibiotics and are grass feed and they roam the fields. I just wonder on the slaughtering methods.
09/16/2012 5:41:35 PM CDT
Nikki - Community Moderator says ...
@SIMON - Thanks for your question. Our humane slaughter standards require that all animals be stunned before slaughter. The only exception we have made to this standard at this time is for the ritual slaughter of Kosher chicken and turkey. If you are looking specifically for Kosher items, I would encourage you to check with your local store to inquire as to what Kosher items they have available, or may be special ordered for you. Whole Foods Market also requires all slaughter facilities to successfully pass annual third party audits of their animal welfare and food safety practices each year. Visit http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/list to get in touch with your local store.
09/17/2012 3:30:48 PM CDT
cj goldstein says ...
Thank you Whole Foods for caring about the farm animals and setting a good example that hopefully, other markets will follow. It does make a difference in the lives of the animals.
10/11/2012 5:52:51 AM CDT