OUR PORK STANDARDS

TO BE RED TRACTOR ASSURED, OUR PIG FARMERS MUST WORK TIRELESSLY TO MAINTAIN A RIGOROUS SET OF STANDARDS THAT KEEP ANIMAL WELFARE AT THEIR CORE AND ENSURE WE CAN DELIVER FULL SUPPLY CHAIN TRACEABILITY AND SAFETY.

Take a look at some of our Pork Standards…
All staff working on a Red Tractor certified farm must be trained and demonstrably competent to carry out their job
All Red Tractor pigs must be clearly identifiable by tag, tattoo or mark before leaving the farm to maintain traceability
Safe, comfortable and hygienic housing must be available for pigs
This means:
- Housing must be constructed and maintained to provide a safe, secure environment for livestock
- Housing must be well ventilated
- Conditions must be maintained so that livestock are able to keep clean
- Pigs must be provided with a dry lying area that is well-drained or maintained with dry bedding
- Housing must be lit to allow normal behaviours, rest and effective inspection of livestock
Pigs must have sufficiently sized housing and be kept in appropriate groups
Why do they need to be kept in certain groupings?

When pigs are mixed with other pigs they are not accustomed to, they may fight to establish a social hierarchy. As a result, it’s important to keep pigs in stable social groups with as little mixing as possible after weaning
Pigs being kept outdoors must have access to shelter and bedding must be provided for thermal comfort
They need to be able to keep warm in cold conditions and, likewise, keep cool in warm conditions
The animals must receive a full, healthy diet
This means:
- The feed they receive must be suitable and traceable and remain palatable and free from contamination
- The diet is adequate and suitable to the production status and body condition of the animal
- Farmers check all of their pigs at least once a day to ensure they are a healthy shape and weight
- Water which is of acceptable quality for livestock must be available at all times
The health and welfare of the pigs must be proactively managed
This means:
- Every certified pig farm must be visited by a vet at least four times a year. The vet will produce a Veterinary Health Plan which is reviewed with the farm during every visit
- The pigs must also have permanent access to environmental enrichment to keep them stimulated. This can include straw, hay, wood, sawdust and objects such as natural rope and suspended chew toys
Certified units must participate in the ‘Real Welfare’ scheme
The ‘Real Welfare’ scheme is a pioneering method of assessing animal welfare which involves veterinary assessment of pig welfare using a set of five outcomes. These outcomes establish whether welfare has been compromised so that any problems can be identified and addressed and rectified.
The health and welfare of livestock must also be well managed during transportation
This means:
- Headroom that allows livestock to stand in a natural position
- Non-slip flooring and bedding
- Free from injury risk (sharp edges/ projections)
- Adequate ventilation
- Vehicles fitted with roof to protect from weather
- Not tightly or loosely stocked – there must be sufficient space for all pigs

Did you know…

In Britain there are a number of different pig farming systems, but the two main production systems are indoor and outdoor. Two thirds of the sows in the UK are housed in indoor units and the remaining third are reared outdoors. Red Tractor’s requirements cover both indoor and outdoor pig farms, to ensure our high welfare standards are met on all certified pig farms, regardless of the production system.

Source: https://weeatbalanced.com/can-you-tell-us-about-british-pig-farming/

Looking after the environment is a big part of being a pig farmer. Red Tractor standards require certified farms to have a number of systems in place to manage their impact on the environment including the appropriate management of any manures, fertilisers or agrochemicals to prevent contamination and pollution.

We require all pig units to submit their antibiotic usage data, which means we can track progress against antibiotic reduction targets. Our standards also only allow use of the highest priority antibiotics that are of critical importance for human medicine as a last resort when absolutely necessary to protect pig health.

MEET RED TRACTOR PIG FARMER, ANDREW

RED TRACTOR IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT ON OUR BUSINESS WHICH MEANS WE’RE ALWAYS WORKING TO A STRICT SET OF STANDARDS. I HAVE A GREAT SENSE OF PRIDE WHEN I THEN SEE RED TRACTOR PRODUCTS FOR SALE IN SUPERMARKETS OR ON MENUS SINCE I KNOW JUST HOW MUCH WORK HAS GONE INTO THAT PRODUCT

Andrew

Red Tractor Pig Farmer

WORKING ON A NEIGHBOURING FARM WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER INSPIRED ANDREW TO SET UP HIS OWN PIG FARM AND RAISE HIS OWN ANIMALS

“I started pig farming on my own account in 1994 after working on a neighbouring pig farm and have built the business up to what it is now. I really enjoy working with pigs and found it to be a sector that was more accessible to a new entrant like myself”

ANDREW’S FARM NOW RAISES AN IMPRESSIVE NUMBER OF PIGS, ALL OF WHICH ARE CHECKED EVERY DAY AND SEEN BY A VET AT LEAST FOUR TIMES A YEAR TO ENSURE THEIR WELFARE

“At any time, we normally have around 3400 pigs on our farm, 340 of which are sows – these are the adult female pigs that we use for breeding. We use an indoor system with slatted pig pens which means we can raise the pigs at a competitive cost while ensuring their welfare. All our pigs have access to straw or toys which also adds to their welfare. “

IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN PIG FARMING LACKS THE SAME REGULATION AS WE HAVE HERE IN THE UK. ANDREW IS ESPECIALLY PROUD OF OUR APPROACH TO ANTIBIOTICS IN BRITAIN.

“We don’t use any antibiotics in the pig feed on our own farm and that’s something I’m very proud of. Red Tractor requires any necessary antibiotics to be used responsibly, which means we work consistently to manage the health and welfare of our animals. That’s why biosecurity is so important on our pig farms as we need to protect the pigs from anything potentially harmful like bacteria from outside the farm”

Our Other Standards

Fruit & Vegetables

Combinable Crops

Beef & Lamb

Dairy

Poultry