Outdoor Bred
Outdoor bred sounds like an idyllic life in the countryside. Far from it.
The Claim
They Say…
Outdoor Bred - exclusively bred and sustainably reared on Wold Farms to deliver tenderness and succulence.
We Say…
Being born outside then taken from your mother and thrown in an industrial, overcrowded shed, does not mean higher welfare. "Outdoor bred" is marketing jargon that does lot of heavy lifting.
The Reality
“Outdoor bred” is an intentionally vague term designed to put consumers at ease without actually giving the crucial detail. And it’s an omission that serves their marketing needs, not the welfare of pigs.
“Outdoor bred” means piglets are born outdoors, but that is not where they stay. They are forcibly weaned from their mothers after just three to four weeks, and moved into indoor units – often highly industrial, filthy, overcrowded factory farm units.2 Under natural conditions, piglets would bond and nurse for 17 weeks, before living up to 15-20 years.
There is no requirement that the indoor units they are moved to offer standards any higher than the bare legal factory-farm minimum. They will likely have their tails cut off because stressed pigs in appalling conditions tend to bite one another’s tails.
In the UK, more than 90% of all piglets spend the last days and weeks of their unnaturally short lives in indoor finishing units before being sent to slaughterhouses. There, they are killed in CO₂ gas chambers, which are known to cause fear, severe pain, and respiratory distress. ‘Outdoor bred’ pigs suffer the same as all the others.
What They Don't Show You
Still permitted under this welfare term:
Who Uses This
The Bottom Line
This label doesn't end factory farming. It helps hide it.
References
Take Action
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FrankenchickensBan Frankenchickens in the UK
Tell the Secretary of State at Defra to ban factory-farmed and fast-growing chickens known as Frankenchickens.
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FrankenchickensAsk Your MP to Take Action
Ask why Frankenchickens are legal, when it’s unlawful to farm animals that will suffer because of how they have been bred.
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Factory FarmingEnd Factory Farming by 2040
It's time to bring it all down. Tell the government to block new factory farms and ban factory farming by 2040.
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Gas ChambersBan CO2 Gas Chambers for Pigs
Tell the Secretary of State at Defra to ban the use of CO2 gas chambers for pigs.
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Gas ChambersAsk Your MP to Take Action
Ask why CO2 gas chambers are legal when the government’s Animal Welfare Committee recommends phasing them out?
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Gas ChambersTell Tesco to Drop CO2 Gas Chambers
Tell Tesco to stop selling meat from pigs killed in CO2 gas chambers, and commit to honest, transparent labelling.
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Gas ChambersTell McDonald’s to Drop Gas Chambers
Tell McDonalds to stop sourcing pork from pigs killed in CO2 gas chambers, and be transparent about slaughter methods.
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