Instead, most pig farmers simply cut off half the piglet's tail despite the fact that routine tail docking has been illegal since 1994. Farmers say they de-beak hens to prevent them from pecking each other's feathers. Scientific research shows that feather-pecking is much reduced when hens are kept in good conditions. They should be kept in small flocks with ample space and given enough litter to peck at and for dust-bathing. Calves are castrated by the same methods as lambs.
Castration causes acute pain for calves.
By law when calves aged 2 months are castrated, the operation must be performed by a vet and an anaesthetic must be used. The fact that farmers frequently break this law was highlighted by a survey published in the Veterinary Record. This indicates that each year around 100,000 calves aged over 2 months are illegally castrated by a non-vet and some 150,000 are illegally castrated without an anaesthetic. Where calves are castrated, the law should be strengthened to require castration to be carried out with an anaesthetic and by a vet even for calves aged less than 2 months. Return to table of contents Copyright Compassion in World Farming.