Bedding and Substrate for Pig Welfare

Bedding substrate is one of the most impactful single welfare factors for housed pigs, affecting thermal comfort, rooting behaviour, cleanliness, and injury risk.

Key Facts

Pigs on deep straw bedding show lower cortisol, more rooting behaviour, and fewer lesions than those on slatted floors
Straw provides thermal insulation reducing energy expenditure in young pigs
Deep litter systems require less investment in slatted floor infrastructure but more labour for bedding management
Clean dry bedding is a fundamental welfare requirement recognised in all major pig welfare standards

Welfare Considerations

Bedding welfare for pigs operates through multiple mechanisms: thermal comfort, rooting substrate satisfaction, joint and integument protection, and psychological wellbeing. Pigs on bare or slatted floors develop higher rates of leg injuries, joint problems, and skin lesions than bedded animals. The rooting substrate function of straw is particularly important: pigs on straw spend more time rooting and less time redirecting rooting at pen mates. Deep litter management is labour-intensive but delivers welfare benefits that are reflected in production metrics including better growth rates and lower veterinary costs.

What You Can Do

Support pork certification schemes that require straw or equivalent bedding provision
Advocate for bedding requirements in livestock housing regulations
Choose higher-welfare pork products from straw-bedded systems
Support farmers transitioning from slatted to bedded systems with management guidance