Farm Animals

Pig Housing and Flooring Welfare

Flooring type has a profound effect on pig welfare. Slatted concrete floors, while practical for waste management, can cause foot and leg injuries and restrict natural behaviors.

Key Facts

Slatted floors are associated with higher rates of foot lesions and lameness in pigs
Deep-litter systems with straw bedding allow rooting and reduce stress behaviors
Fully slatted systems are still dominant in intensive production in many countries
EU regulations have progressively tightened minimum space requirements for pigs

Welfare Considerations

Flooring is one of the most impactful elements of pig housing for welfare. Pigs on hard slatted floors cannot express rooting behavior, develop foot injuries, and show more stress responses. Bedded or partially bedded systems improve multiple welfare outcomes simultaneously, from physical health to behavioral expression and positive affect.

What You Can Do

Choose pork from systems using bedded housing where possible
Support producers transitioning from fully slatted to enriched bedded systems
Advocate for regulations requiring partial or full bedding in pig housing
Learn about the welfare benefits of deep-litter systems for farmed pigs