Pigs systematically treated with hormones

BUND calls for a ban on hormone use in pig breeding

07/01/2014

In pig breeding hormones are often used to increase performance, which then „with the liquid manure in soils and waters and thus also in drinking water resources“ The Federal Association for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany (BUND) reports in a recent press release. The environmental protection organization therefore called on the Federal Agriculture Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich, „prohibit the use of hormones to increase performance in pig breeding.“

The BUND study „The use of hormones in intensive sow husbandry“ has made it clear that in many pig farms hormonally active substances are used to optimize rearing. The BUND Chairman Hubert Weiger explained that the systematic use of hormone preparations is mainly used to reduce the care required by the dams and to increase the number of piglets. These unacceptable hormone applications in pig breeding must be banned, according to the BUND. Because she is „neither with animal welfare nor with the protection of the environment from the entry of risky substances.“

Mass-administered hormone preparations
According to the BUND, the use of hormone preparations in pig breeding is used to synchronize the sows' sexual cycles, which simplifies operations considerably. Also, the use of hormonally active drugs in mother sows in large pig farms increasingly piglets were born in unnatural numbers, said the agricultural expert of the BUND, Reinhild Benning. Overall, this practice of hormone use contradicts the objective of the Medicines Act, because „this implies that drugs used to cure ill animals“ will be reported by the BUND. Hubert Weiger therefore called on the Federal Agriculture Minister to do this „animal and environmentally harmful practice“ to advance a bar. A turnaround in agricultural policy is needed here, „away from factory farming and away from subsidizing an agricultural industry that turns animals into“, emphasized the chairman of the BUND.

Disclose data on hormone use in pig breeding
The agricultural expert Reinhild Benning further explained that the unnatural high number of piglets per sow also cause increased numbers of piglets, as the number of teats is often insufficient to suckle all the young. It should also be assessed extremely critically that the hormonally active substances enter the environment with the manure. From contaminated drinking water, the hormones can not or only partially be removed so that they are absorbed by humans in the end. In addition, according to BUND impairments of other species are to be expected. To enable a better risk assessment, the Federal Agriculture Minister must disclose all data on the hormones used in livestock husbandry and their quantities, the BUND chairman demanded. Most recently, figures were announced in 2003. At that time, according to BUND 670 kilograms of hormone preparations per year were used in veterinary medicine.

Departure from the „industrial animal husbandry“ required
Since then, however, animal husbandry has intensified further and in the meantime probably much larger amounts of hormone preparations would be used. In particular, the use of so-called steroids must be monitored here much stricter. „These drugs, which are regarded as genotoxic and carcinogenic, are used, among other things, in the sow husbandry for cycle equalization“, reports the BUND. The BUND chairman Hubert Weiger stressed that this „Agricultural policy, which focuses primarily on the growth of industrial livestock farming, more environmental damage, great animal suffering and high follow-up costs for society“ leads. In general, a rethink is needed here. On 18 January, the BUND therefore announced a demonstration on the occasion of the Green Week in Berlin, in which consumers and farmers protest together against these risks and side effects of the agricultural industry. Germany must say goodbye to it, even with the meat the title „Export champion“ to aim for, continues Weiger. The results of the current BUND study were also reported by Norddeutsche Rundfunk (NDR) in an exclusive article. (Fp)