Identification of genetic factors affecting tail biting in pigs

Tail biting is a behaviour in pigs that leads to considerable pain, injury and in severe cases mortality in victims of tail biting. Further, biters start tail biting because their own welfare is compromised. The causes of tail biting are multi-factorial and the prevalence of tail biting may depend on interactions between some factors of the environment and the animal. This makes it difficult to find solutions to reduce the incidence of tail biting. This project aimed to identify genetic and non-genetic factors that affect the risk of being a victim of tail biting on farms.