Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver

Newly released documents show the government's independent animal welfare experts disagreed with new pig welfare reforms.

Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard announced a rewrite of pig welfare laws on 1 October, cancelling the previous Labour government's plans to ban farrowing crates from 18 December.

Instead, the Animal Welfare Amendment (Regulations of Management of Pigs) Bill keeps farrow crates, but gives pig farmers 10 years to adapt to slightly tougher restrictions.

A first reading of the bill passed in Parliament the week after it was announced.

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) raised concerns with Hoggard about his plans in April, documents show.

The amendment bill meant that until December 2035, pig farmers could continue to put expectant sows in farrowing crates up to five days before birth and keep them there for up to four weeks after birth.

After December 2035, pregnant pigs can only be kept in the crates for three days before birth and four days after.

Farrowing crates are so small a sow cannot turn around in them. It prevents nesting behaviour and can lead to health problems but the pig industry argues they are necessary to stop sows from crushing their piglets.

Critics of the bill say putting pregnant sows in farrowing crates for any time prevents them from nest-building, which they are intrinsically highly motivated to do.

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