WEDA PigTail

WEDA Dammann & Westerkamp GmbH is a family-run manufacturer of pig-farming equipment founded in 1934 and based in Lutten, Germany, with a focus on liquid feeding, group housing and digital herd technology. The company addresses welfare and labor challenges in pig production with sensor, camera and software systems.

PigTail is a fully automated camera system installed above a sorting chute in group housing. AI segments the image of each pig tail and classifies it as intact, necrotic or showing signs of tail-biting, while RFID ear-tag recognition links each animal to its history. The system notifies the farmer with pen and animal numbers and aggregates data over time for herd monitoring.

• Tail classification: AI classifies each tail as intact, necrotic or showing tail-biting signs.
• Ear-tag linking: RFID (LF) recognition ties each pig to its history to detect new injuries.
• Farmer alerts: notifications include pen and animal numbers.
• Data aggregation: results are collected over time for digital herd monitoring.
• Premium documentation: software lists intact ringed-tail animals for welfare premium applications.
• Sorting chute install: camera mounts above the sorting chute in group housing.

Large finishing farms in Vietnam can use PigTail at the sorting chute to detect tail injuries early. Export-oriented pork producers can use the records to document welfare. Breeding companies can monitor injury trends per pen across multiple sites.

Early warning against tail-biting lets farmers intervene before it spreads across a pen. Documentation of intact-tailed animals supports welfare premium claims, and automated counting saves time in groups that can exceed 400 animals. Staff spend less time in the barn on manual inspection.

Tail-biting and animal welfare requirements are growing concerns in pig production, and retailers increasingly reward welfare-compliant pork. In Vietnam and Southeast Asia, large integrated pig farms recovering from African swine fever are investing in automation and digital monitoring to reduce labor and risk.

Family-run company founded in 1934, headquartered in Lutten, Germany. Received four awards at EuroTier 2026, including DLG Innovation Award gold for the Smart Farrowing Pen and silver for PigTail. Website offers German, English, Spanish, French, Polish and Russian versions.