The flooring conditions in pig housing directly affect foot and leg health, with concrete slats causing significant chronic pain in millions of animals.
The foot and leg health of pigs is fundamentally compromised by fully slatted concrete housing. These floors are designed for waste management efficiency, not animal welfare. The constant contact with unforgiving surfaces causes progressive joint and foot damage that becomes chronic pain. Adding rubber mats or solid lying areas represents a relatively low-cost modification that significantly improves welfare, and increasing evidence suggests it also improves productivity by reducing injury-related downtime.