By Victoria Nampala Bugembe
Tail docking in pigs is a practice primarily carried out to prevent a behaviour known as tail biting, which can occur in pig herds.
Tail biting is when pigs bite or chew on each other’s tails, leading to injuries, infections, and potential complications such as abscesses and spinal issues.
Tail docking is performed to reduce tail biting and cannibalism among pigs.
John Bosco Malinzi, an Agronomist at Tabula Demonstration Farm Nakawuka, cautions that tail docking should be performed early in a piglet’s growth sufficiently before the weaning period to avoid open wounds.
“The piglet can be relieved of the pain that is associated with tail docking upon applying appropriate medication,” says Malinzi.
The tails are docked to a length of 2-3 cm among piglets. This is a normal process for piglets to control tail-biting behaviours at the farm.
Importance of tail docking
Jayden Muyinza, the Managing Director of Beulah Farm says that tail docking helps in fattening the tail part of a pig.
“If it is left on, it can absorb roughly 4kgs if a pig is well fed. Therefore, by removing it, the same absorption of weight can be put on other parts like the thighs and the back,” he explains.
Tail docking reduces the length of the tail, making it less likely to be a target for other pigs, stress, and overcrowding. He says among the gilets, once the tail is removed, it helps in the time of fertilization in a way that the sow can easily penetrate with ease.
Tail docking helps reduce the risk of serious injuries, infections, and even death in pigs. Such injuries lead to severe pain and suffering which improves the pigs’ health, says Muyinza.
Tail docking mitigates economic losses at a pigs’ farm with reduced veterinary costs and its associated complications.
“I would advise pig farmers to carry out tail docking within the first 3-5 days after birth for easy healing and absorption of weight”, says Muyinza.
However, Muyinza says tail docking is a provocative practice and is increasingly being analyzed for its proper consequences. Animal activists argue that it is a painful procedure and that the underlying causes of tail biting, such as poor housing conditions or inadequate eco-friendly improvement, should be addressed instead.
