Impact of flooring on the health and welfare of pigs

Abstract

HOUSING for pigs reared for meat has been revolutionised over the past 50 years, and modifications in flooring have been a key component of this change. While the introduction of slatted floors that do not require manual removal of soiled bedding and dung has reduced labour requirements and production costs, solid floors are still in use on some commercial farms in Britain, particularly in older or converted buildings, and are more common in Britain than in other European pig-producing countries. Floors in pig housing can impact on the health and welfare of pigs by affecting an animal's opportunity to engage in normal behaviour and increasing the risk of infectious disease and physical damage due to contact with the floor. This article highlights the impact of floor types on the prevalence of foot, limb and body lesions, and lameness in pigs, and provides typical examples of the pathology of some lesions.

Risk factors of lameness in sows in England

“…Nationally, 58% of breeding sows are housed indoors and 42% are kept outdoors (RSPCA, 2013). However, the 2003/2004 Warwick study (KilBride et al, 2009b) found that only 12% of gilts and pregnant sows were housed outdoors. In other studies, the prevalence of foot and limb injuries has been significantly higher in pigs housed indoors than outdoors (KilBride et al, 2009b).…”

“…There seems to be an increased risk of lameness in sows housed on slatted floor compared with sows housed on solid concrete floor with bedding or outdoors on soil (KilBride et al, 2009a). KilBride et al (2009b) found that the prevalence of lameness was four times higher in pregnant sows housed on partly slatted or fully slatted floors compared with pregnant sows housed on solid concrete with deep bedding or sows in outdoor housing on soil. Identifying risk factors associated with lameness is essential to prevent clinical cases of lameness.…”

“…It is an indicator of pain which can cause distress and restrict the animal from performing appropriate behaviour (KilBride et al, 2009b). Lame animals are also likely to feed less, leading to reducing growth rates and production.…”

“…A study carried out in England in 2003/2004 showed that 80% of sows were housed on solid concrete floor, 6% on partly slatted floor, 2% on fully slatted floor and 12% were kept outdoors (KilBride et al, 2009b). However, as nearly 40% of the English herds are kept outdoors, these studies are not comparable (RSPCA, 2013).…”

An experimental model for studying claw lesions in growing female pigs

“…flooring) (Vestergaard et al, 2005). Claw lesions have been reported in young pigs (Kilbride et al, 2009b), but the prevalence appears to increase with the age of the animal and during gestation, while a temporary decrease during the lactation period has been reported (Anil et al, 2007;Pluym et al, 2011). Various sow herd survey studies have reported an incidence of claw lesions of 60-90% (KilBride et al, 2010;Olsson and Svendsen, 2002;Pluym et al, 2011).…”