Farm Animal Welfare

Pig Pen Design for Positive Welfare

Pen design in pig housing profoundly affects welfare outcomes, with layout, space allocation, enrichment placement and flooring all determining whether pigs can express natural behaviours.

Key Facts

Pigs require separate functional areas for lying, feeding, rooting and dunging
Pen shape influences social dynamics - square pens reduce aggression compared to narrow rectangles
Enrichment placement near dunging areas is less effective than in activity zones
Mixed solid and slatted flooring allows pigs to choose preferred lying surfaces
Pen complexity that includes visual barriers reduces aggression at group mixing

Welfare Considerations

Pen design translates welfare science into physical reality. A well-designed pen enables pigs to separate their behavioural zones, choose preferred lying surfaces, access enrichment naturally and avoid constant social confrontation. These design decisions are made once at construction but affect thousands of animals over the building's life. Welfare-informed design is one of the highest-leverage interventions available.

What You Can Do

Advocate for welfare science to inform new pig housing design standards
Support farms undertaking welfare-focused housing renovations
Choose pork from farms with accredited higher-welfare housing systems