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Why you should start working on long tails now
Leon Rijkers trabaja como Coach de HyCare en The Schippers Group y es gerente de la granja de investigación porcina De Raamloop, en Bladel, donde se crían 1.200 cerdos de engorde.
"Criar cerdos con colas largas es un desafío, pero también una oportunidad para mejorar la salud y los resultados técnicos», afirma Leon. «Mi objetivo es guiar a otros ganaderos para lograrlo paso a paso, con una ruta clara, un plan estructurado y soluciones prácticas".
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From 2030, tail docking will no longer be allowed. But Leon already started 1.5 years ago. “Given the setup of the research farm, the Long Tails project was a perfect fit. Besides that, I see it as an exciting challenge.”
Keeping pigs with long tails is about much more than just fixing one thing and doing it right. The pig itself shows what it needs, and it is the farmer’s task to meet those needs as well as possible.
“If those needs are not met, this can cause stress in the pig and lead to unnatural behaviour, often expressed as biting pen mates. Examples of triggers that can cause biting include high disease pressure, draughts, an empty feed trough, or a lack of enrichment.”
Hygiene as the foundation. Leon stresses that a clean pen is always the first step. “Pigs need a clean and structured environment with low disease pressure. Good hygiene is the foundation for healthy pigs and the most important starting point on the path towards keeping pigs with long tails.”
Data and structure support decision-making. At the experimental farm, Leon uses PigScale and the HyCare App to monitor results on a daily basis. “This allows you to make small adjustments quickly and stay focused on the goal. Visually, you can already see a lot in a pig, but data and digitalisation help secure the process. They support you 24/7 in mapping and monitoring the needs of the pigs and the status of their living environment.”
The future with long tails. Leon advises customers to start working with long tails now. This reduces the risk of failure. Start small, learn, optimise, and build experience. “You maintain confidence, your pigs become healthier, and you are ready for the future,” he says. “It’s not something you do on the side. It requires a different way of looking at and approaching the pig as an individual. But the gains are significant: healthier pigs, fewer diseases, better growth, and ultimately higher returns.”
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