Lameness Tops Animal Welfare Concerns
In pig farming, welfare concerns should be ranked on the basis of effect and “manipulability” (likeliness of being able to be implemented by farmers). Lameness may be one of the most important concerns, having a profound impact on reproductive performance and consequently economics.
The delivery of lame and downer animals to processing plants has been a focus of concern in the industry. Group housing increases the likelihood of lameness. The overall impacts of lame sows can affect the economics of the system and are underestimated. Measures to address the issue should be followed by farmers and emphasized by the industry to improve overall performance measures.
According to this article, “The relative importance of pain is extremely subjective. Webster’s five freedoms suggest there are a number of adverse conditions for pigs. They range from hunger and thirst to frustration to pain. There has been some work on operant behavior in sows concerning hunger and boredom, but little has been done on the subject of pain. Yet, it is evident from sow behavior that considerable resources will be used to avoid painful scenarios.”