Lameness in breeding sows causes chronic pain affecting millions of animals and is preventable through evidence-based housing and management investment.
Sow lameness is a welfare crisis that is also an economic problem: lame sows have reduced reproductive performance, require treatment costs, and are culled earlier, directly affecting producer economics. This economic alignment should incentivise welfare investment in flooring, nutrition, and hoof care, but cultural inertia and capital investment barriers slow adoption. Rubber flooring installation over existing concrete is a demonstrated, cost-effective lameness reduction intervention that many producers have not yet implemented. Welfare-progressive producers who have invested in lameness reduction demonstrate both lower welfare burden and better economic performance, providing the model for industry-wide adoption through appropriate incentives and certification requirements.