And three million little piggies went to play...

British pigs to be given toys by law

source: Martin Wainwright
Guardian January 30 2003 p7

The British Department of Food, the Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has set out welfare rules for compulsory toys for pigs on farms. One farmer, Paul Fradgley, notes that his pigs like to play with a pair of wellington boots, or a bucket, and that they tend to fight more if they have no toys and are bored. Pigs like objects that they can move using their snouts, and they are very curious about new objects, he notes. The requirements apply to the whole of Europe, and were circulated by DEFRA in the UK. Fines of up to 2,500 pounds sterling can be imposed on farmers who neglect their pigs' toys. Compassion for World Farming's chief executive, Joyce d'Silva, argues that toys are a trivial issue compared to keeping pigs on concrete floors, a barren environment, though Fradgley sees the toys providing enjoyment for pigs. 
PG,LW