Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Housing: Comparison of Systems by Welfare Outcome

Different pig housing systems produce measurably different welfare outcomes, with higher welfare systems showing consistent advantages.

Key Facts

Outdoor and deep-straw systems consistently score better on pig welfare assessments
Fully slatted floors are associated with higher lameness and reduced movement
Access to rooting substrate and social enrichment shows significant positive welfare effects
Welfare assessment across European pig farming systems reveals large performance variation

Welfare Considerations

System choice is the most powerful determinant of pig welfare outcomes. Consumers and retailers who invest in higher welfare systems create market pull for the structural changes that benefit the most animals. Welfare data comparing systems empowers evidence-based consumer choice.

What You Can Do

Choose pork from documented higher welfare systems including outdoor and deep-straw
Support transparency labelling that shows the housing system used for pig products
Advocate for mandatory housing system labelling on all pork products sold in the UK and EU