Farm Animals

Pig Welfare and Welfare and Respiratory Disease Welfare

Respiratory disease in pigs causes significant welfare suffering, with prevention and early treatment being the most effective welfare interventions.

Key Facts

Enzootic pneumonia affects up to 70% of pigs in poorly ventilated housing
Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae causes chronic coughing and reduced welfare for weeks to months
Vaccination against Mycoplasma reduces pneumonia prevalence by 50-60% in vaccinated herds
Ventilation management is the most cost-effective respiratory disease prevention measure
Pleurisy detected at slaughter provides welfare data on respiratory disease burden in life

Welfare Considerations

Respiratory disease causes chronic, painful suffering for millions of pigs. Prevention through vaccination and ventilation management reduces this welfare burden significantly.

What You Can Do

Advocate for ventilation standards and vaccination requirements in pig welfare certification
Support research on respiratory disease prevention and welfare impact
Choose pork from farms with documented respiratory disease management protocols