Tail biting is one of the most common
problems in confinement
herds, for which no satisfactory
control or treatment program exists. In
many cases, substantial costs are incurred
due to secondary infection and deteriorating
body condition of affected pigs. In an abattoir
study, 8.5 to 9.2% of undocked pigs
were tail bitten, and tail-bitten pigs had
significantly more carcass damage compared
to unbitten ones.1,2 Tail biting was determined
as the primary cause of multi-site
abscesses found in carcasses at slaughter.3
The cost of tail biting also includes increased
labor for transferring bitten pigs to recovery
pens and applying medical treatment.
Another consequence of tail biting is the
negative effect on the health and welfare of