Outdoor pig systems deliver substantial welfare benefits but require specific health management approaches to prevent disease challenges from soil contact and exposure.
Outdoor pig systems deliver better welfare overall but require proactive health management to prevent the specific disease challenges that outdoor access creates. Erysipelas causes acute fever, skin lesions, and death in unvaccinated outdoor pigs. Poor rotation management allows disease to accumulate in paddocks over successive crops. The welfare investment in outdoor systems requires parallel investment in appropriate vaccination, rotation, and shelter to prevent the health problems that could otherwise undermine the welfare benefits of the system.