UMR PEGASE, Institut Agro Rennes-Angers, INRAE, 35042 Rennes, France.
UMR PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro Rennes-Angers, 35590 Saint-Gilles, France.
Animal. 2024 May;18(5):101138. doi: 10.1016/j.animal.2024.101138. Epub 2024 Mar 21.
Part of the farmers have chosen to raise pigs with outdoor access. However, providing outdoor access to pigs is not a simple matter, and many farmers are hesitating or feel powerless to engage in this transition. A better understanding of their needs and challenges could facilitate the development of innovations that generate commitment. This survey aimed to identify the French pig farmers' barriers to and drivers for providing outdoor access to pigs. A total of 36 farmers, aged 25-60, who worked in all types of pig farming systems (from full indoor to free-range) participated in a semi-structured interview that lasted 1.25-2.25 h. The topics covered included a historical overview, a description of the farm and practices, as well as opinions about the impact of outdoor access on farmers, animals, production and economic performance, environment, and society. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Most of the participants agreed that rearing pigs indoors is a different job from that of rearing pigs with outdoor access and that it is above all a matter of choice, farmer work conception, and work comfort. Farmers generally agreed that working outdoors is particularly arduous, but this could be compensated by the satisfaction of being in contact with nature and seeing animals in a more complex environment. A large majority of farmers managing a system with outdoor access raised the issue of lack of support, highlighting the need for refinement and diffusion of guides of practices as well as day-to-day support. The impact of outdoor access on the health and welfare of pigs was discussed, especially regarding climatic hazards and the risk of zoonoses, and several outdoor farmers explained how their relationship with the animals changes when pigs are raised outside. Given that zootechnical performance may significantly decrease in farms with outdoor access, various strategies can be employed to maintain profitability, such as feed production, circularity, direct sales, or work diversification. They could be either motivating or demotivating factors depending on the individuals. Concerns about social criticism were prominent among many indoor farmers while farmers providing outdoor access generally felt more serene and proud. Overall, this study can serve as a basis to identify levers that could remove barriers, foster the adherence of more farmers, and facilitate the transition towards more pig farming systems with outdoor access, provided that those systems are viable and beneficial for the welfare and health of the animals and farmers.
部分农民选择让猪在户外饲养。然而，为猪提供户外环境并非易事，许多农民对此犹豫不决或感到无能为力。更好地了解他们的需求和挑战，可以促进创新的发展，从而激发农民的积极性。本调查旨在确定法国养猪户为猪提供户外环境的障碍和驱动力。共有 36 名年龄在 25-60 岁之间的农民参与了这项调查，他们从事各种类型的养猪系统（从完全室内到自由放养）。这些农民参加了一次半结构化访谈，持续了 1.25-2.25 小时。访谈的主题包括历史概述、农场和实践描述，以及对户外饲养对农民、动物、生产和经济表现、环境和社会的影响的看法。使用主题分析对定性数据进行了分析。大多数参与者都认为，在室内饲养猪与在户外饲养猪是不同的工作，这主要是一种选择、农民的工作理念和工作舒适度的问题。农民普遍认为，在户外工作特别辛苦，但这可以通过与大自然接触和在更复杂的环境中看到动物来得到补偿。大多数管理户外饲养系统的农民提出了缺乏支持的问题，强调需要改进和传播实践指南，并提供日常支持。户外饲养对猪的健康和福利的影响也引起了讨论，特别是关于气候危害和人畜共患病的风险，一些户外农民解释了当猪在户外饲养时，他们与动物的关系如何发生变化。鉴于户外饲养的农场中动物的生产性能可能会显著下降，可以采用各种策略来保持盈利能力，例如饲料生产、循环利用、直接销售或工作多样化。这些策略对个人而言可能是激励因素，也可能是阻碍因素。许多室内农民对社会批评表示担忧，而提供户外饲养的农民则普遍感到更加平静和自豪。总的来说，本研究可以为确定消除障碍、促进更多农民参与并促进向更多户外饲养养猪系统过渡的杠杆提供依据，前提是这些系统对动物和农民的福利和健康是可行和有益的。
