Table 1.

Considerations for determining risk factors and possible causes of tail-biting on-farm.

Considerations	Yes	No
Have you experienced tail-biting previously? At a similar severity? At the same age? At what time of year? Did pigs enter the finisher barns with tail lesions? If yes, a thorough investigation of the nursery barns should be undertaken Do pigs have optimal access to resources? Feed (palatable and enough feeder spaces) Water (water pressure, water quality, placement of drinkers) Lying space Dunging space What is the temperature in the barn, in the pens, and at floor/pig level? Are there drafts? Is there air movement for optimal air quality? Is there further evidence of pig discomfort? Sharp edges Poor flooring quality Stray voltage What lighting program is being used in the barn? Does the lighting program allow for normal circadian rhythm? What genetic line are the pigs from? Are the pigs from a new genetic line? Is the stocking density appropriate? At the beginning of the finishing stage? During the finishing stage? As pigs reach market weight? Is there mixing of pigs and disruption of the social order within pens? At what frequency? Are pigs segregated based on sex? Is tail-docking a normal practice on-farm? Is the length of the docked tail appropriate? Are the tails a consistent length? Is there enrichment in the pens? What is the enrichment; is it species-relevant? Is the enrichment regularly added to or changed? When was the enrichment supplied? Have nutrient deficiencies been found, or addressed? Anti-nutritional factors Amino acid balances (tryptophan content?) Salt Other: Loud noises, mechanical failures, new staff, illness in the barns