Pig farmer in Vestfold must pay up after husbandry violations
A pig farmer in Vestfold must pay almost NOK 30,000 in fines after two violations of the Animal Welfare Act. The farmer allegedly performed a surgical procedure on a pregnant sow without anaestethics.
Nortura in Tønsberg received a pregnant sow at the end of May. The inspectors discovered that the animal could give birth at any time. It was thus unsuitable for transport, according to NRK.
A sow shall not be sent for slaughter in the last 11-12 days before, or up to one week after, birthing,” Section Head of the Food Safety Authority, Kristin Helgesen Torkveen, tells the public broadcaster.
The inspectors further discovered that the farmer also presumably performed a variation of the so-called «Bühner method» (Flensa suture). Such an surgical procedure is performed when a sow (or cow for that matter) shows signs of pushing out the uterus, and means that a metal rod with a wooden plug is stitched across the labia.
“It’s a painful operation. It should, therefore, be performed by a veterinarian using anaesthesia. That was not adhered to in this case,” Torkveen explains.
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Made money out of the situation
The Norwegian Food Authority points in a letter out that the pig farmer may have saved money by not calling for a veterinarian when the sow showed signs of pushing the uterus out. He allegedly benefited from sending the animal to slaughter when it was unfit for transport as well.
Nortura has subsequently followed up on the pig farmer and registered nonconformities. Factory Manager at Nortura in Tønsberg, Therese Ryan, believes that the case shows that the control mechanism of their reception system functions as intended.
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© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
