Pig housing design profoundly affects welfare outcomes. Evidence-based pen design principles reduce injuries, disease, and behavioural problems.
Pen design represents the physical infrastructure of pig welfare. Poor design that provides inadequate space, inappropriate flooring, or insufficient enrichment creates inevitable welfare problems regardless of stockmanship quality. Evidence-based design principles — adequate space per pig, part-solid flooring, clear lying and dunging area separation, and enrichment provision — significantly reduce the most common welfare problems in commercial production. Retrofitting existing housing is challenging, making design decisions at construction particularly important.