Saxony pigs with tails earn valuable bonus

Pig farmers in the German state of Lower Saxony can now earn a premium of €16.50 per pig if their tails are intact.

In a move designed to improve animal welfare, Lower Saxony’s agricultural ministry in Hanover, will also introduce a premium of €1.70 per bird for the poultry industry, if it gives up beak trimming.

Over one third, or about 28 million, of Germany’s pig herd is in the state of Lower Saxony in the country’s northwest.