Gastric ulcers are highly prevalent in intensively farmed pigs, causing chronic pain that is often undetected due to the subtle behavioural signs in this stoic species.
Gastric ulcers cause chronic pain that may last months before detection. The high prevalence indicates that intensive feeding practices cause widespread undetected suffering. Transitioning to coarser particle diets with adequate fibre reduces ulcer risk significantly. Mortality from haemorrhage represents the extreme end of a welfare problem that is chronic and widespread at sub-clinical levels.