In the light of the SVC's conclusions, CIWF believes that the EU should prohibit sow stalls and require sows to either be kept free-range or group housed. They added that sows prefer to have social contact with other pigs and that they associate and interact in a friendly way much more than in an aggressive way. Social contact is clearly impossible for sows confined in stalls and tethers. The SVC stressed that sows devote time and energy to exploring their environment and seeking diversity in that environment. Stereotypies Stereotypies are frequently observed in stalled and tethered sows and are a major indicator of poor welfare.
Stereotypic behaviour is highly repetitive behaviour, performed for no apparent purpose.
They added that such behaviour is extremely rare in sows kept in complex environments. The SVC pointed out that stereotypies indicate that the animal is having difficulty in coping with its environment and hence that its welfare is poor. The SVC stated that stereotypies are a characteristic behaviour of sows confined in a small space, typically in stalls or tethers, with little complexity in their environment and little possibility for the sow to regulate her interactions with all aspects of her environment. Stereotypies result both from the sow being confined in a stall or by a tether and from the fact that in such systems she is usually given no manipulable material such as straw. The SVC stated that abnormal inactivity and unresponsiveness is very widespread in confined sows as compared with sows in environments where they have opportunity for exercise and exploration.