While shopping in the Migros store in Neumarkt Altstetten yesterday, I noticed the flyer for the new meadow pig label from IPS. Meadow pig, that sounds very good, as there is still a lot of catching up to do in terms of animal welfare, especially in pig farming. According to the independent evaluation platform "Essenmitherz", even the Bio-Suisse guidelines are still far from adequate, precisely because there is no access to pasture. So I wanted to find out what exactly "meadow pig" means for the pigs by law. Can it really be that from now on I can buy pork from Migros that has been raised in a way that is appropriate for the animals? So you go to their website, look at all these pictures and think to yourself that they are doing really well now... Well, I'm one of those customers who won't stop there. I work in science and generally don't trust a picture book presentation on a website. After all, you want to show your best side. So I made an enquiry and asked about the guidelines. The positive thing was that I received a reply fairly quickly. But then this: "The average length of stay per meadow visit and group is at least 30 minutes. Each fattening group has access to pasture at least 20 times during the fattening period - this also applies to winter fattening." 20 times 30 minutes of pasture for a pig's life?!!!! Seriously now? People, I really don't like being f***ed, but I can't believe that you treat all your customers like this, fooling them with pretty pictures and great slogans, at a time when society is becoming more and more concerned about animal welfare.
All replies (8)
Too little information to get upset. Two times "at least": at least 30 minutes on the meadow, at least 20 times out. The information on "at most" would be interesting. And of course "actually".
Dear HirschiS Thank you for opening this topic. All meadow pig facilities have two large additional areas to the IP-Suisse barn (apartment with balcony or barn with run): the rooting arena and the pasture (meadow). These two areas can either be used together, or only the rooting arena can be used individually. The rooting arena is designed and built in such a way that all the pigs' needs (running, playing, rooting, bathing in the pool, socialising...) can be fully met, 365 days a year, for at least twice 50-60 minutes a day. Art.4 A "The fattening pigs must have access to the rooting arena at least twice a day from 6 days after being housed. The average length of time the rooting arena is open is at least 100 minutes per group per day. If there are fewer than four groups per rooting arena, the average minimum length of stay is 120 minutes per group per day." It is known that pigs lie, rest or sleep for 16-18 hours a day. This "natural laziness" of pigs makes it possible to provide a limited amount of free-range time for animal welfare. This is more than sufficient for the pigs. Sleeping, lying down and resting takes place in the barn, which means that meadow pigs have plenty of variety, no boredom and even experience anticipation (something that does not exist in nature!) This results in a lower consumption of resources, as these areas are used alternately. The meadow pig concept does everything it can to make the animals' active time as exciting as possible without putting more strain on the environment. 1. the additional rooting area in the barn can be used permanently. (Article 2 in the animal husbandry regulations) 2. rooting arena with pool. Can be used 365 days a year, at least twice a day for 50-60 minutes. 3. pasture (meadow) with rooting area and "forage" in the shade. The pigs would actually be very happy with the rooting arena. However, as we want to spoil the animals even more and also like to show people pigs outside, we added the meadow. The use of this is a little more complex, as on the one hand the weather has to play along and on the other hand the fattening pigs lead a rather short life. Art. 4 C "Access to the meadow must be granted in suitable ground conditions. As long as the weather and humidity data are not included in the automation, the farmer decides whether the meadow is opened or not. However, access to the meadow must be granted at least 300 half-days per year for all fattening groups. The average length of stay per meadow visit and group is at least 30 minutes. Each fattening group has access to the pasture at least 20 times during the fattening period. This also applies to winter fattening." The meadow areas are directly connected to the areas of the Wühlarena and could therefore be used jointly. It has been shown that it is ideal for the animals, for the load on the soil and for the excrement and urine discharge, if they first use only the rooting arena for a certain time and then the meadow is switched on. The farmer or the automation system knows that 30 minutes of the 100-120 minutes are spent on the meadow in suitable weather conditions. The fattening period of the pigs is around 105 days. The meadow pigs in summer (spring and fall) experience more meadow days than the winter fattening due to the weather. Therefore, the article you mentioned is formulated in such a way that the pasture MUST be used sacrosanctly for at least 300 half-days or 150 days a year, more than for cows, and at least the 20 half-days must be used for winter fattening, so that every pig can really benefit from the free-range runs. Perhaps this could be formulated in a simpler or more comprehensible way. Those responsible for the concept are still working on developing and refining the requirements and conditions for the benefit of the pigs. I hope I have been able to revise your judgements. Otherwise, the Wiesenschwein developers are always at your disposal and we are sure that you would be delighted afterwards. You already have the contact. You can find more information, graphics and illustrations at https://www.wiesenschwein.ch/ Best regards, Marc
Dear HirschiS Thank you for opening this topic. All meadow pig facilities have two large additional areas to the IP-Suisse barn (apartment with balcony or barn with run): the rooting arena and the pasture (meadow). These two areas can either be used together, or only the rooting arena can be used individually. The rooting arena is designed and built in such a way that all the pigs' needs (running, playing, rooting, bathing in the pool, socialising...) can be fully met, 365 days a year, for at least twice 50-60 minutes a day. Art.4 A "The fattening pigs must have access to the rooting arena at least twice a day from 6 days after being housed. The average length of time the rooting arena is open is at least 100 minutes per group per day. If there are fewer than four groups per rooting arena, the average minimum length of stay is 120 minutes per group per day." It is known that pigs lie, rest or sleep for 16-18 hours a day. This "natural laziness" of pigs makes it possible to provide a limited amount of free-range time for animal welfare. This is more than sufficient for the pigs. Sleeping, lying down and resting takes place in the barn, which means that meadow pigs have plenty of variety, no boredom and even experience anticipation (something that does not exist in nature!) This results in a lower consumption of resources, as these areas are used alternately. The meadow pig concept does everything it can to make the animals' active time as exciting as possible without putting more strain on the environment. 1. the additional rooting area in the barn can be used permanently. (Article 2 in the animal husbandry regulations) 2. rooting arena with pool. Can be used 365 days a year, at least twice a day for 50-60 minutes. 3. pasture (meadow) with rooting area and "forage" in the shade. The pigs would actually be very happy with the rooting arena. However, as we want to spoil the animals even more and also like to show people pigs outside, we added the meadow. The use of this is a little more complex, as on the one hand the weather has to play along and on the other hand the fattening pigs lead a rather short life. Art. 4 C "Access to the meadow must be granted in suitable ground conditions. As long as the weather and humidity data are not included in the automation, the farmer decides whether the meadow is opened or not. However, access to the meadow must be granted at least 300 half-days per year for all fattening groups. The average length of stay per meadow visit and group is at least 30 minutes. Each fattening group has access to the pasture at least 20 times during the fattening period. This also applies to winter fattening." The meadow areas are directly connected to the areas of the Wühlarena and could therefore be used jointly. It has been shown that it is ideal for the animals, for the load on the soil and for the excrement and urine discharge, if they first use only the rooting arena for a certain time and then the meadow is switched on. The farmer or the automation system knows that 30 minutes of the 100-120 minutes are spent on the meadow in suitable weather conditions. The fattening period of the pigs is around 105 days. The meadow pigs in summer (spring and fall) experience more meadow days than the winter fattening due to the weather. Therefore, the article you mentioned is formulated in such a way that the pasture MUST be used sacrosanctly for at least 300 half-days or 150 days a year, more than for cows, and at least the 20 half-days must be used for winter fattening, so that every pig can really benefit from the free-range runs. Perhaps this could be formulated in a simpler or more comprehensible way. Those responsible for the concept are still working on developing and refining the requirements and conditions for the benefit of the pigs. I hope I have been able to revise your judgements. Otherwise, the Wiesenschwein developers are always at your disposal and we are sure that you would be delighted afterwards. You already have the contact. You can find more information, graphics and illustrations at https://www.wiesenschwein.ch/ Best regards, Marc
Thank you for the clarification. The word "meadow pig" is a bit of a misnomer. It suggests that the pigs spend the whole day outside the stables. The marketing department should come up with a more appropriate term for this.
Thank you for the clarification. The word "meadow pig" is a bit of a misnomer. It suggests that the pigs spend the whole day outside the stables. The marketing department should come up with a more appropriate term for this.
Well. After all, the point is that customers fall for it. After all, there's no meadow in the bottle of Wiesenmilch. https://migipedia.migros.ch/en/204002900000
Dear HirschiS Thank you for opening this topic. All meadow pig facilities have two large additional areas to the IP-Suisse barn (apartment with balcony or barn with run): the rooting arena and the pasture (meadow). These two areas can either be used together, or only the rooting arena can be used individually. The rooting arena is designed and built in such a way that all the pigs' needs (running, playing, rooting, bathing in the pool, socialising...) can be fully met, 365 days a year, for at least twice 50-60 minutes a day. Art.4 A "The fattening pigs must have access to the rooting arena at least twice a day from 6 days after being housed. The average length of time the rooting arena is open is at least 100 minutes per group per day. If there are fewer than four groups per rooting arena, the average minimum length of stay is 120 minutes per group per day." It is known that pigs lie, rest or sleep for 16-18 hours a day. This "natural laziness" of pigs makes it possible to provide a limited amount of free-range time for animal welfare. This is more than sufficient for the pigs. Sleeping, lying down and resting takes place in the barn, which means that meadow pigs have plenty of variety, no boredom and even experience anticipation (something that does not exist in nature!) This results in a lower consumption of resources, as these areas are used alternately. The meadow pig concept does everything it can to make the animals' active time as exciting as possible without putting more strain on the environment. 1. the additional rooting area in the barn can be used permanently. (Article 2 in the animal husbandry regulations) 2. rooting arena with pool. Can be used 365 days a year, at least twice a day for 50-60 minutes. 3. pasture (meadow) with rooting area and "forage" in the shade. The pigs would actually be very happy with the rooting arena. However, as we want to spoil the animals even more and also like to show people pigs outside, we added the meadow. The use of this is a little more complex, as on the one hand the weather has to play along and on the other hand the fattening pigs lead a rather short life. Art. 4 C "Access to the meadow must be granted in suitable ground conditions. As long as the weather and humidity data are not included in the automation, the farmer decides whether the meadow is opened or not. However, access to the meadow must be granted at least 300 half-days per year for all fattening groups. The average length of stay per meadow visit and group is at least 30 minutes. Each fattening group has access to the pasture at least 20 times during the fattening period. This also applies to winter fattening." The meadow areas are directly connected to the areas of the Wühlarena and could therefore be used jointly. It has been shown that it is ideal for the animals, for the load on the soil and for the excrement and urine discharge, if they first use only the rooting arena for a certain time and then the meadow is switched on. The farmer or the automation system knows that 30 minutes of the 100-120 minutes are spent on the meadow in suitable weather conditions. The fattening period of the pigs is around 105 days. The meadow pigs in summer (spring and fall) experience more meadow days than the winter fattening due to the weather. Therefore, the article you mentioned is formulated in such a way that the pasture MUST be used sacrosanctly for at least 300 half-days or 150 days a year, more than for cows, and at least the 20 half-days must be used for winter fattening, so that every pig can really benefit from the free-range runs. Perhaps this could be formulated in a simpler or more comprehensible way. Those responsible for the concept are still working on developing and refining the requirements and conditions for the benefit of the pigs. I hope I have been able to revise your judgements. Otherwise, the Wiesenschwein developers are always at your disposal and we are sure that you would be delighted afterwards. You already have the contact. You can find more information, graphics and illustrations at https://www.wiesenschwein.ch/ Best regards, Marc
That was an informative answer, thank you very much. I was somewhat amused by "Apartment with balcony or stable with run". Apartment with balcony for pigs? Is that artificial turf? And one wonders whether fear of heights has been investigated in pigs? Keeping pigs on several floors doesn't really seem natural to me, but you would have to see it to make a judgment. With 16-18 hours of sleep a day, the condition, lying area and freedom of movement in the barn are still decisive.
I would like to give you a brief update: I have written to Swiss Animal Protection. Among other things, it runs the "essenmitherz" website, which I often use when it comes to animal-friendly products. Essenmitherz has already examined the "Wiesenschwein" label and found it to be good. Specifically, the exchange with a very helpful employee of the STS revealed that the Wiesenschwein label has not yet fulfilled everything that a pig actually needs (essenmitherz.ch also shows that there are still some steps to be taken), but it is still one of the best-rated labels for Swiss pork in the Swiss label jungle. I would therefore like to apologize for my criticism of the husbandry standards, but I still consider the name "meadow pig" to be a fraudulent label because of the very limited time on the pasture. In my opinion, 20 times 30 minutes of grazing is not enough to justify the name "meadow pig".
The husbandry conditions are certainly good or better in comparison, but in a nutshell: If something is called a meadow pig, the customer thinks ohaaa they live in the meadow. How many minutes, how often and whathow, it doesn't matter, you think they LIVE in the meadow with a stable in the green. And it is precisely this naivety that is being played with. But it seems that they have it better than others. But nobody in the PR department can tell me that they don't play with the image that the customer has in their head.
Hm. Actually, we should ask ourselves whether we should eat animals at all. The animals are slaughtered after their short lives, that's a fact. What does it matter whether the pig was allowed to wallow in the meadow or had to "live" its whole life in a dark barn? Somehow I have the feeling that people want to assuage their guilty conscience with these labels.
The husbandry conditions are certainly good or better in comparison, but in a nutshell: If something is called a meadow pig, the customer thinks ohaaa they live in the meadow. How many minutes, how often and whathow, it doesn't matter, you think they LIVE in the meadow with a stable in the green. And it is precisely this naivety that is being played with. But it seems that they have it better than others. But nobody in the PR department can tell me that they don't play with the image that the customer has in their head.
Yes, of course. When you read apartment advertisements, for example, it often says "unobstructable view" - and you already have the idea in your head that if you look out of the window, you'll be able to see as far as the eye can see and that this view can't be taken away from you. But when you come and look, the view is actually unobstructed - because it's already obstructed on the other side of the street. And it's the same with the Wiesenschwein. People are more likely to buy something like this than if the packaging says "has seen nothing but the stable floor all its life".