LOW STRESS STOCKMANSHIP SEMINARS FOR PIG FARMERS
November 2023
Two one-day seminars as in-house training for employees at the Pig Research and Training Center, Staatsgut Schwarzenau/Kitzingen in Schwarzach (Germany). On the topic of "Low Stress Stockmanship in the pigsty".
The project was financed by Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl.
Source photos Ronald Rongen, Magdalena Krebs
November 2023
A webinar on "Low-stress handling of pigs is rewarded" was held for a group of 230 participants at the beginning of November.
This webinar took a closer look at how pigs perceive their environment and how humans can take this into account in their daily interaction with these animals.
In addition, the various handling aids, their use and their effects on both humans and livestock were explained in more detail.
Organizer:
Chamber of Agriculture Oberösterreich, Beratungsstelle Schweinehaltung 4600 Wels Oberösterreich.
Source photo Ronald Rongen
Oktober 2023
Workshop organized by Agrarisch Jongeren Kontakt Oosterhout, on the subject of Low Stress Stockmanship in cattle and pigs, as well as useful tips and tricks, how to apply this in practice as a livestock farmer.
AJK Oosterhout - zoekresultaten | Facebook
Source text and photo: Anouk Van Den Corput
July 2023
A webinar on "Loading pigs from the pen into the truck" was held for a group of 170 participants at the beginning of July.
This webinar took a closer look at how pigs perceive their environment and how humans can take this into account in their daily handling of these animals.
In addition, the different driving aids, their use and their impact on humans as well as animals were explained in more detail.
Source photo Ronald Rongen
March 2023
Day seminar Low Stress Stockmanship in theory and practice for pig farmers in Echem, (Germany).
This project was supported by Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl.
Below you will find a photo impression of this very successful seminar for pig farmers.
Source photos Marga Fogt
March 2023
-We always respect people, animals and the environment.
As an entrepreneur, I am committed to my company, the industry and the region out of conviction-.
Source: These are the words of Nico Brand, Managing Director of Brand Qualitätsfleisch GmbH & Co KG in 49393 Lohne, Germany.
With this in mind, he invited me to visit his company to share my opinions regarding his working methods and to make suggestions for potential improvements. He also asked me to train the stable staff on low-stress handling of pigs. Doing this by specific training.
There is a lot of expertise on how to handle pigs.
Slaughterhouse operators, livestock handlers, pig whisperers - they can all contribute to the topic.
Each from their own knowledge discipline, and in their own way.
Brand Quality Meat does not rush into anything, but informs itself and seeks comprehensive expert advice on the subject.
Something that LSSE fully supports.
When it comes to the animal-friendly handling of the animals to be slaughtered, I don't think there is any competition when it comes to sharing knowledge.
Ronald Rongen
Source text and photos Brand Qualitätsfleisch
November 2022
Two one-day seminars Low Stress Stockmanship for pig farmers at the Experimental and Educational Center for Agriculture Haus Düsse in 59505 Bad Sassendorf-Ostinghausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.
Due to the great interest in the topic "Low Stress Stockmanship" for pig farmers, I was invited as a speaker at Haus Düsse for two days.
The theoretical part in the morning was followed by a visit to the fattening pig house at Haus Düsse, where the theoretical knowledge was put into practice. All this was done in compliance with the hygiene measures in force on site.
The event was organized by the Chamber of Agriculture of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, and LSSE as part of a joint project.
November 2022
Low-stress handling of pigs in theory and practice, for a safe, efficient and animal-friendly workflow.
An event organized by the Chamber of Agriculture Niedersachsen, Research Centre for Pig Breeding and Husbandry of the Chamber of Agriculture (LWK) Niedersachsen, Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl and LSSE, as part of a joint project.
The event took place in 26160 Bad Zwischenahn-Wehnen, (Niedersachsen, Germany).
In a detailed interactive PowerPoint presentation, the different facets were deepened with practical examples and videos.
This in front of a very interested audience.
Afterwards, the practical part of the seminar took place in the piggeries of the Research Centre.
All this in compliance with the hygiene regulations in force on site.
Source photos Ronald Rongen, Marga Fogt
November 2022
By invitation, I was a guest lecturer at the Agricultural Chamber of Niedersachsen at Meppen, (Germany).
A group of very interested pig farmers attended my seminar entitled:
"Low Stress Stockmanship in the Pigsty".
The theoretical part consisted of an explanation on how pigs perceive their environment and how the pig farmer can respond to this.
A joint project of LSSE and Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl.
Source photos Ronald Rongen
October 2022
During my combined tour of southern Germany, I was a guest speaker at René König's organic pig fattening farm in Boxberg-Schweigern, (Baden-Württemberg).
A group of very interested pig farmers visited my seminar:
"Low-stress husbandry and handling of pigs in pigsties".
The theoretical part of the seminar focused on how pigs perceive their environment and how pig farmers can react to this in practice.
In the subsequent practical part, the topics discussed in theory were presented in detail.
A joint project of LSSE and Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl.
Source photos Ronald Rongen, Marga Fogt
October 2022
Low-stress handling of pigs for a safe, efficient and animal-friendly workflow.
A German event organized by the Hamburg Chamber of Agriculture, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State Research Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries and Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, as part of a joint project.
The event took place in Zarrentin am Schaalsee, (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern).
In a detailed interactive PowerPoint presentation, the various facets were deepened using examples and practical videos.
This in front of a very interested audience of experienced pig farmers and farm advisors.
Low-stress animal husbandry in pig farming:
The new normal in pig handling
From practice, for practice
Source photos Ronald Rongen, Marga Fogt
September 2022
As a lecturer at the "Haus der Grünen Verbände" in Erfurt, (Thüringen, Germany), for a one-day seminar on "Low-stress husbandry and handling of pigs in pigsties".
Source photos LSSE Ronald Rongen
August 2022
On Aug. 31 2022 the joint project Network Focus Tierwohl together with the Agricultural Chamber of Schleswig-Holstein, (Landwirtschaftskammer), invited participants to the seminar "Low-Stress Stockmanship when handling pigs", at the Futterkamp Education and Research Center (LVZ).
The following is a brief report by Dr. Ariane Horst and Janna Fritz, Agricultural Chamber of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
The speaker was Ronald Rongen from the Netherlands, who teaches the method of Low-Stress-Stockmanship (LSS) on farms and in slaughterhouses.
LSS comes from the U.S. and loosely means "low-stress handling of herd animals." The goal is to treat animals in such a way that natural behavior patterns can be utilized and taken into account, thereby reducing stressors to the animal and minimizing the risk of accidents to humans.
Especially in fattening pigs, the effect of stress on fattening performance and meat quality has been sufficiently studied.
However, unprofessional handling can also lead to stress in the daily handling of sows and piglet rearing, negatively affecting animal health and performance.
Check husbandry for stress potential
Rongen emphasizes that there is always a cause when pigs walk hesitantly or block completely. It is the animal handler's job, he said, to locate these causes and check the housing facility for potential sources of stress. As examples of such obstacles, the behaviorist pointed to floor structures unfamiliar to the animal, objects (shovels), manhole covers, extreme light-shade conditions, and so on.
The presence of additional people can also greatly affect the behavior of the pigs. Similarly, leading pigs out of crowded pens through narrow doors and gates can be a hindrance. Reducing group size can greatly facilitate herding. However, the more frequent a control walk with intensive animal observation in the pens, the less pronounced the escape behavior of the pigs. The LSS method of herding can also be practiced during pen inspections and thus learned by the pigs. This can, for example, simplify the movement of the animals for all parties involved during loading.
Source text Dr. Ariane Horst, Janna Fritz, Agricultural Chamber of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Source photos Marga Fogt
July 2022
German organizers:
State Research Institute für Landwirtschaft und Fischerei Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,
State Office für Ländliche Entwicklung Landwirtschaft und Flurneuordnung Brandenburg,
State Institute für Landwirtschaft und Gartenbau Iden,
Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, as part of a joint project.
In addition to the theory, which was presented by means of an inactive PowerPoint presentation, the practical part took place in the different units of the pig house at the institute of LLG Iden.
Not a matter of course in view of the current situation regarding African swine fever!
Therefore, all participants showered before entering, and after leaving, the pigsty. The practical part was carried out in company clothing of LLG Iden.
Source photos Ronald Rongen, Marga Fogt