The physical design of livestock housing profoundly affects animal welfare through effects on movement, social behavior, temperature, air quality and injury risk.
Livestock housing design is one of the most enduring determinants of welfare for confined farm animals. Animals cannot choose their environment — they must cope with whatever housing they are placed in. Good housing design anticipates animal behavioral needs, providing appropriate substrate for lying and resting, adequate space for movement, good air quality, appropriate temperature ranges and social opportunities. Poor design creates chronic welfare problems — lameness from hard floors, respiratory disease from poor ventilation, social stress from inadequate space — that persist for the lifetime of the facility. Investment in welfare-conscious design pays dividends in animal health, productivity and welfare that compound over many years of operation.