Prevalence and risk factors of lameness and claw lesions in two types of group housing for pregnant sows

21-10-2010 | Pigs | Sows & Boars | Article

Claw lesions and lameness in sows are an important welfare concern as well as a cause of considerable economic loss for pig producers. These problems are more common in group housing than in individual housing systems1.

Given that group housing for pregnant sows will become mandatory in the EU from 2013 onwards, the aim of the present study was firstly to determine the prevalence of lameness and claw lesions, and secondly to analyze type of group housing and sow related risk factors associated with lameness and claw lesions.

Liesbet M. Pluym¹Sebastiaan Van Hoorebeke¹ Alfonso Lopez Rodriguez¹Jeroen Dewulf¹ Frederic Vangroenweghe² Frank Tuyttens³ Dominiek Maes¹

1. Dept. of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium; 2. Dierengezondheidszorg Vlaanderen vzw, Torhout, Belgium; 3. Animal Sciences Unit, Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research, Melle, Belgium

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