An artificial intelligence system that checks every pig's tail as it passes through a sorting chute has won a silver DLG Innovation Award at EuroTier 2026. PigTail, developed by WEDA Dammann & Westerkamp, aims to catch tail biting early in group-housed pigs.

Existing sorting chutes weigh and select animals by weight alone. PigTail adds a camera that photographs each pig from above; the AI then segments the image to decide whether the tail is intact or shows necrosis or bite injuries.

Because each image is linked to the animal's ear-tag data, the system compares current and past pictures. If a pig that had an intact tail now shows an injury, the farmer is alerted at once with the pen and ID number, so the animal can be separated before biting spreads through the group.

WEDA said recording tail condition by hand in large groups is time-consuming, error-prone and virtually impossible during normal work, especially in herds of 400 or more pigs. The software also produces, at the touch of a button, a list of pigs with intact tails to support applications for animal welfare premiums.

The company says the system reduces the risk of lost revenue from estimation errors or poor documentation at inspections, saves labour, and cuts the time staff spend among the animals. The report is by Stephen McLaughlin; the picture is WEDA's.

Source: The Scottish Farmer