Farm Animal Welfare

Flooring Systems for Pigs: Welfare Implications

Flooring type significantly affects pig welfare through effects on leg health, cleanliness, behavioral opportunity, and thermal comfort.

Key Facts

Slatted concrete flooring causes higher rates of leg problems than solid straw-bedded floors
Fully slatted systems allow waste management without bedding but deny rooting behavior
Partially slatted systems with solid lying areas represent a welfare compromise
Rubber matting over concrete significantly reduces joint problems in pigs
Straw-bedded systems provide better behavioral welfare but require more management

Welfare Considerations

Flooring type is one of the most fundamental determinants of pig physical and behavioral welfare. The shift to slatted concrete in intensive systems prioritized waste management over animal welfare, creating leg problems and denying rooting behavior. Straw-bedded systems reverse this priority with significantly better welfare outcomes. Partially slatted systems with solid lying areas represent a feasible welfare improvement within existing building designs.

What You Can Do

Choose pork from straw-bedded systems where possible
Support campaigns for minimum flooring welfare standards in pig production
Advocate for rubber matting to be required in slatted pig housing as a welfare improvement
Donate to research comparing welfare outcomes across pig flooring systems