Transport is one of the most welfare-significant events in a pig life, causing acute stress from mixing, noise, temperature variation, and unfamiliar movement.
Pig transport is inherently welfare-compromising due to multiple simultaneous stressors. Loading involves forceful herding into unfamiliar vehicles using electric goads, causing fear and sometimes injury. Mixing unfamiliar pigs on vehicles triggers fighting and injury from defensive and dominance behaviors. Vehicle noise, movement, and vibration are unfamiliar and stressful. Temperature regulation in vehicles is challenging as pigs cannot sweat and are sensitive to both heat and cold. Journey duration affects welfare cumulatively, with longer journeys producing greater physiological stress. Unloading at abattoirs involves further herding into unfamiliar lairage. Welfare improvements include reducing mixing before and during transport, low-stress loading facilities, appropriate stocking densities, temperature management, and minimizing journey duration by using closer abattoirs.