Improving sow longevity in commercial pig production reduces welfare harm from premature culling and chronic conditions, while improving farm economics.
Sow longevity welfare is a case where producer economic interests and animal welfare align strongly. Sows culled early due to lameness or reproductive failure have experienced welfare costs throughout their productive life — lameness is painful, and the conditions causing early culling rarely develop overnight. Farms with high culling rates have chronically high welfare burden in their sow populations. Investment in longevity — better genetics, improved housing, skilled stockpersonship — produces both welfare and economic returns through extended productive life and reduced replacement costs.