Pig Transport Welfare
Transport is one of the highest-risk welfare events in a pig's life. The stress of loading, unfamiliar vehicle environments, social mixing, motion, noise, and temperature challenges combine to create significant physiological and psychological stress. Managing transport welfare is both an ethical obligation and a meat quality consideration — stressed pigs produce inferior pork through pH changes and pale, soft, exudative (PSE) meat.
Loading Stress
Loading is often the most stressful component of transport — it involves novel environments, handling by unfamiliar people, novel sounds, and physical pressure from driving. Low-stress loading requires: trained handlers using quiet techniques (boards rather than electric goads where possible); appropriate ramp angles (maximum 20° for finishers); non-slip surfaces on ramps and vehicles; adequate lighting on the ramp and in the vehicle; and allowing pigs to move at their own pace rather than being forced.
Electric goad use should be a last resort — evidence shows it dramatically increases cortisol responses and is rarely necessary with appropriately designed facilities and trained staff.
Journey Conditions
Temperature management is critical. Pigs have limited thermoregulatory capacity, particularly at high stocking densities where mutual body heat elevates vehicle temperature. UK and EU regulations specify temperature ranges; in practice, summer transport requires ventilation management (vehicle air vents, speed adjustments) and avoidance of peak heat periods. Cold weather transport of lightweight pigs requires bedding provision and reduced stocking density to allow huddling.
Space allowances affect both thermal management and injury risk. Inadequate space prevents pigs from lying down on longer journeys; excessive space on short journeys at high transport speed increases injury from sliding. Species-specific space allowances adjusted for weight and journey length are specified in legislation.
Pre-Slaughter Lairage
Lairage — holding pens at the abattoir — provides recovery time before slaughter. Adequate lairage welfare (clean, bedded pens, fresh water, appropriate mixing management) reduces pre-slaughter stress and cortisol levels. Keeping groups intact (not remixing at lairage) dramatically reduces fighting stress. Lairage duration should be sufficient for physiological recovery (minimum 2-4 hours) but not so long as to cause additional hunger stress.