Animal suffering documented at the home of a renowned animal protection organization

The rooting pig concept started in 2004 when Jan Broenink teamed up with the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals (Dierenbescherming). Broenink built the first "rooting stable" in Langeveen for 1,000 finishing pigs. The meat from these rooting pigs was marketed with one star of the Beter Leven welfare certification. Other pig farmers adopted the concept, and by 2021, the rooting pig chain was delivering 500 pigs for slaughter each week. Certified butchers sell the meat.

Wroetvarken: a chain concept

In a rooting stable, finishing pigs are housed in groups. Each group has a pen with litter. The size of each group ranges from 20 to 32 pigs, with a density of 1 square meter per animal. The stable's floor is made of concrete, featuring a slatted section for waste. The litter on the floor primarily consists of pine sawdust.^[1]

The term "rooting pig" describes the rooting behavior of pigs, which is a vital part of their natural instincts. Pigs root to find food, an activity they engage in for much of the day. Researchers at Wageningen University characterize natural rooting behavior in pigs as “ploughing the soil to extract roots, insects, and worms.”^[2] In a barn setting, pigs' rooting behavior is restricted to turning over a layer of bedding on a concrete floor.

As of 2021, 16 pig farmers are part of the rooting pig chain. They all adhere to the principles of the rooting pig concept.^[3] The initial link in the rooting pig chain is sub-breeder Tijink.^[4] A sub-breeding farm is where mother animals are raised for the pig industry. Tijink's farm breeds animals from Topigs Norsvin, a major breeding organization that develops pig breeds for the industry through genetic selection. The emphasis is on “cost-effective pig (meat) production.”^[5] Tijink's farm can accommodate 447 breeding sows and 880 rearing animals. Tijink provides the mother animals for the entire rooting pig chain.^[6]

From the sub-breeding facility, the mother animals are sent to rooting pig breeders. At these breeders, they give birth to piglets that will be raised in rooting sheds. The mother animals in the rooting pig chain are housed in a traditional system. This means they are confined between bars in breeding pens for artificial insemination. To give birth and nurse their piglets, the mothers are kept in farrowing cages for a month.^[7] Confinement between bars severely limits pigs' freedom of movement, social interaction, and grooming behavior. Due to the lack of space, the animals frequently rub against the bars, which can result in injuries.^[8] At 12 weeks old, the piglets are moved from the breeding farms to a rooting stable, where they are fattened until they are ready for slaughter at 28 weeks, or approximately 6.5 months old.^[9]

The Wroetstal Foundation: Broenink and Gosschalk

Initially, the rooting pig meat was sold to supermarkets, but sales did not meet expectations. This prompted Broenink to partner with Gosschalk slaughterhouse in 2011, which would subsequently sell the meat to (Keur) butchers.^[10]

In 2014, Jan Broenink and Ben Gosschalk, the director of the slaughterhouse, established the "Stichting de Wroetstal" (The Wroetstal Foundation) to "organize, monitor, and supervise a high-quality pig chain." Broenink serves as the chairman of the foundation, while Gosschalk holds the positions of secretary and treasurer (11).^[12]

When the Gosschalk slaughterhouse faced criticism in 2021 due to an undercover investigation by Pigs in Need, Jan Broenink announced on behalf of the De Wroetstal Foundation that the slaughter of rooting pigs would (temporarily) be transferred to the Van Rooi slaughterhouse in Helmond. The foundation “distanced itself from any form of disrespectful treatment of animals” (13).^[14] Notably, Ben Gosschalk continued to serve as a board member of the De Wroetstal Foundation. Ongehoord previously discovered that Gosschalk slaughterhouse also remained the chain director for the Animal Protection Association.^[15]

Winner of the Animal Protection Society's livestock farming award

In 2021, Jan Broenink received the Deltaplan Livestock Farming Award for his rooting pig concept, a new initiative by the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals (Dierenbescherming). Through the Deltaplan Livestock Farming, animal protection organizations aim for "animal-centered, integrally sustainable livestock farming." The plan describes the vision for livestock farming in 2050 as envisioned by the animal protection organization.^[16] The Deltaplan Awards jury recognized Broenink's concept as "a source of inspiration for livestock farmers."^[17] Pig farmer Annechien ten Have chaired the Deltaplan Award jury, during which Ongehoord also captured shocking images of animal suffering. According to the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals (Dierenbescherming), Ten Have and Broenink are prominent figures in the Delta Plan for Livestock Farming. Both pig farmers are also members of CARING FARMERS, a farmers' advocacy group supported by the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals (Dierenbescherming).^[18]

In June and September 2021, Ongehoord conducted an investigation into the rooting pig chain. A team visited the barns of founder Broenink and subbreeder Tijink to film the pigs' living conditions. They observed severe animal suffering in both the subbreeding facility and the rooting barn.

Pigs with serious bite wounds in the rooting stable of founder Broenink

The research team visited Jan Broenink's rooting barn in Langeveen, which is licensed to house 1,000 finishing pigs. The farm contained growing finishing pigs of various ages. At Broenink's, Ongehoord filmed pigs with severe wounds from tail and ear biting, as well as scratches and injuries on their bodies, umbilical hernias, and severe lameness. The bedding in the pens where the pigs root and live was contaminated with feces. Several animals had feces on their bodies from lying in the soiled bedding. Under natural conditions, pigs would never soil their resting areas. Mother pigs teach their young to urinate and defecate in a separate manure area, which is located 5 to 15 meters away from the nest.^[19] The pigs' feed troughs were infested with flies. Research has shown that flies can transmit a number of diseases, including various forms of diarrhea, salmonellosis, Aujeszky's disease, and swine fever.^[20] Flies can not only transmit diseases, they also cause unrest and discomfort in pigs.^[21] In the wild, pigs enjoy mud baths. The mud crust that this creates on their skin protects them from flies.^[22]

Subbreeder Tijink: wounds, lameness, skin diseases

Pigs of various ages were kept at the Tijink breeding farm. The animals were housed in pens with concrete floors and slats, lacking any bedding. The farm was also infested with flies. One pig had its tail completely eaten away and suffered from severe open wounds across its back. A young piglet could only stand on three legs, indicating a painful leg issue. Several other animals walked stiffly. A few pigs had abnormal skin rashes covering their entire bodies. The animals constantly scratched themselves with their hind legs and shook their heads, showing signs of itching and irritation. Outside the barn, on the farm grounds, the research team discovered two barrels containing dead piglets. The barrels were primarily filled with deceased farrowing piglets and only larger piglets. Dead piglets are a common occurrence on pig farms. In the Dutch pig industry, 12.2% of piglets die in the farrowing pen. In mother pigs, premature mortality is 6%, and in finishing pigs, it is 2.5%.^[23] Annually, this results in 4 million farrowing piglets and over half a million finishing pigs and mother pigs.

Livestock farming related welfare issues

The abuses captured in the sub-breeding facility and the rooting pen reflect common welfare issues in the conventional pig industry. This shows that the rooting pig concept fails to prevent significant animal suffering.

Biting

According to researchers at Wageningen University & Research ( WUR ), ear-biting and tail-biting in pigs are behavioral disorders primarily caused by boredom, lack of stimulation, and frustration. Sources of frustration for pigs include poor barn conditions, excessively large group sizes, and issues with feed composition and feeding methods.^[24] When a pig bites the tails and ears of others, it can cause bleeding wounds. The taste of blood and the resulting unrest in the pen can escalate the issue, leading other pigs to engage in biting behavior as well. This can even result in cannibalism. Tail-bite wounds can become infected, leading to abscesses that may cause lameness, paralysis, and death.^[25] Ear bite wounds can also become infected with bacteria, leading to swollen ears and dying ear tips. Through these wounds, bacteria can penetrate deeper into the body, damaging organs and putting the pig at serious risk of illness and death.^[26] According to Wageningen University, biting occurs on 50% of all pig farms, ranging from conventional to organic.

Scratches and wounds on the body

The scratches and wounds on the bodies of the rooting pigs, as shown in the images, highlight welfare issues among the pigs. These injuries stem from mutual aggression, which can be triggered by challenges in the animals' physical and social environments. Researchers from Ghent University note that injuries to the front of the body typically arise from fights that establish social hierarchy within a pen. This situation often occurs when pigs from different pens are combined. In the rooting barn, we observe pigs with scratches on the front of their bodies, likely due to the transfer of piglets from the breeders to the rooting barn. During this transition, the animals are placed into newly formed groups. Injuries to the hind part of the body indicate fights over food.^[27]

Umbilical hernias

An umbilical hernia is a bulge of abdominal contents through an opening at the navel. These hernias can become so large that they touch the ground, causing skin irritation and making movement painful. The contents of an umbilical hernia may include intestines and other abdominal materials, or it could be an abscess filled with pus. Most umbilical hernias arise from infections at the umbilical site, frequently seen in maternity wards.^[28]

Lameness

Lameness is a common and well-recognized issue in the pig industry. Often, it is caused by arthritis and meningitis resulting from streptococcal infections. Additionally, lameness can stem from osteochondrosis, a joint disease that arises from selective breeding of pigs for faster growth rates. The cartilage fails to keep pace with the pig's rapid growth, leading to joint defects. Movement disorders are painful and can lead to abnormal walking or even prevent the animal from standing upright.^[29]