Poor welfare on a legally compliant pig farm: what should the responsible veterinarian do?

You have recently joined a pig production company in Portugal as the veterinarian responsible for the health and welfare management of intensive finishing pig farms.During routine visits, you identify one farm that consistently meets the legal requirements on stocking densities and housing standards.However, welfare assessment has shown indications of poor ventilation conditions, namely frequent coughing, respiratory signs and soiled animals, although no clear breach of applicable animal welfare legislation has been identified.You report your concerns to the company management and recommend corrective measures, including improvements to the ventilation system.Despite this, management is reluctant to intervene because the farm has a good record, achieved the highest production performance last year and is unwilling to fund the necessary investments.The farmer, who depends on the company to finance the facilities, is unable to make the changes alone and sees no reason to change current practices without that support.As the veterinarian responsible for overseeing welfare on these farms, how would you proceed, balancing your professional and ethical responsibilities with your role as an employee?

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Publication Details

Journal
In Practice
Published
2026-10-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/inpr.70132
Primary Topic
Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Poor welfare on a legally compliant pig farm: what should the responsible veterinarian do?

Maria Francisca Ferreira
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In Practice
Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
article

Poor welfare on a legally compliant pig farm: what should the responsible veterinarian do?

Maria Francisca Ferreira
article en

Abstract

You have recently joined a pig production company in Portugal as the veterinarian responsible for the health and welfare management of intensive finishing pig farms.During routine visits, you identify one farm that consistently meets the legal requirements on stocking densities and housing standards.However, welfare assessment has shown indications of poor ventilation conditions, namely frequent coughing, respiratory signs and soiled animals, although no clear breach of applicable animal welfare legislation has been identified.You report your concerns to the company management and recommend corrective measures, including improvements to the ventilation system.Despite this, management is reluctant to intervene because the farm has a good record, achieved the highest production performance last year and is unwilling to fund the necessary investments.The farmer, who depends on the company to finance the facilities, is unable to make the changes alone and sees no reason to change current practices without that support.As the veterinarian responsible for overseeing welfare on these farms, how would you proceed, balancing your professional and ethical responsibilities with your role as an employee?

In PracticeVol. 48(9)
Peace, justice, and strong institutions
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
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Poor welfare on a legally compliant pig farm: what should the responsible veterinarian do? — Maria Francisca Ferreira · In Practice (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS