Concrete slatted floors are standard in intensive pig production but cause lameness, skin lesions, and reduced welfare. Alternative flooring systems exist and are increasingly required by welfare standards.
Fully slatted concrete floors cause foot and leg problems through inadequate traction and pressure point loading. Partially slatted systems with solid lying areas improve welfare by providing a non-slatted resting surface. Deep straw bedding provides the highest welfare outcome of any flooring type for rooting, nesting, and lying comfort. Rubber mats on solid concrete improve comfort but do not address behavioral needs. EU welfare regulations require lying areas that allow all pigs to lie simultaneously; many older buildings do not meet this standard. Alternative flooring innovation including compacted earth systems is being researched.