The transport of pigs - particularly heavy finishing pigs - causes significant welfare harm, with stress, injury, and mortality well documented in research and industry monitoring.
Pig transport welfare encompasses the entire journey from farm to slaughter: loading, transit, lairage, and unloading. Each phase involves welfare challenges. Loading unfamiliar pigs causes fighting as social hierarchy is established. Transit exposes pigs to motion, noise, temperature extremes, and unfamiliar environments. Lairage mixing continues fighting. The cumulative stress of this journey is measurable in cortisol levels, injury rates, and dark firm dry (DFD) meat quality - a welfare proxy metric with economic value that incentivises better transport practices. Reducing journey times, maintaining familiar pig groups through to slaughter, and providing temperature-controlled transport significantly improves outcomes.