The revised Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs was released in March of 2014 (NFACC,\u00a02014), and includes several changes that impact production practices and housing on Canadian farms. \u00a0The most significant changes to the code are related to pain control at castration and tail docking, sow\u00a0housing, space allowances and enrichment. \u00a0The code requirement for enrichment states that, \u201cPigs must be provided with multiple forms of\u00a0enrichment that aim to improve the welfare of the animals through the enhancement of their physical\u00a0and social environments.\u201d
\nThe requirement for enrichment is looked on with skepticism by some, who they may see the\u00a0requirement as an unnecessary exercise to please consumers, requiring more time and money and\u00a0without benefit to pigs or production. This presentation will hopefully dispel these notions. There is an\u00a0extensive amount of research on enrichment to show that, when given appropriate enrichments, pigs\u00a0can benefit from reduced fear, aggression and vices, and improved growth. Also, there are many\u00a0enrichments that can be produced on\u2010farm at low cost which are durable and effective.<\/p>\n