Farm Animal Welfare

Bedding and Comfort in Pig Housing

Bedding materials significantly affect pig welfare by enabling rooting behavior, providing thermal comfort, and reducing leg and skin problems.

Key Facts

Pigs on bare concrete flooring develop skin lesions and joint problems significantly more often
Straw bedding is the gold standard for pig welfare but has cost and management challenges
Deep litter systems using wood chip or other materials can substitute for straw
Slatted floors allow waste management but prevent natural rooting behavior
The EU has required enrichment material for pigs since 2001 but straw provision is not mandatory

Welfare Considerations

Bedding is not a luxury for pigs but a fundamental welfare provision. Straw meets multiple welfare needs simultaneously: rooting substrate, thermal insulation, and absorptive material. Systems that eliminate bedding for management convenience impose chronic welfare costs on the animals. Investing in bedding as a core welfare provision rather than an optional extra would transform pig welfare in commercial systems.

What You Can Do

Choose pork from farms using straw bedding or equivalent enrichment material
Support campaigns requiring substantive bedding provision for all farmed pigs
Ask retailers about bedding standards in their pork supply chains
Donate to organizations promoting straw bedding adoption in commercial pig farming