Farm Animals

Pig Welfare through the Lifespan

A lifespan approach to pig welfare examines the welfare challenges specific to each stage from birth through slaughter.

Key Facts

Neonatal welfare challenges include hypothermia, starvation, and birth trauma
Weaner welfare is dominated by stress of weaning, disease exposure, and social disruption
Finishing pig welfare challenges include tail biting, respiratory disease, and crowding
Breeding sow welfare is affected by repeated gestation, housing restrictions, and body condition demands
Pre-slaughter welfare encompasses transport stress, lairage conditions, and stunning efficacy

Welfare Considerations

Pig welfare varies dramatically across the production lifespan with different challenges at each stage requiring different management interventions. A lifespan approach identifies the highest welfare costs and prioritizes interventions accordingly.

What You Can Do

Support farms with welfare programs addressing all life stages rather than focusing on a single phase
Advocate for welfare standards that address each stage of pig production specifically
Choose pork certified by schemes that audit welfare across the full production cycle