Durability and animal welfare for plastic coated concrete floors for piglets

Concrete floor i pens for piglets are relatively fast worn out by different causes such as corrosion from contact with manure and urine. The skin and hoofs of piglets can be injured in contact with concrete floors due to high friction. During the first days of life the skin and hoofs of piglets are soft due to high moisture content. This makes the piglet extra sensitive to hard, rough objects which may perforate skin and hoofs. Open wounds are a health risk due to pathogens infecting. Such a health risk is a problem both economically and also from an animal welfare aspect. There seems to be a relationship between the age of a concrete floor and the amount of piglets being injured. Alternatives to concrete floors such as plastic coated concrete floors have been studied, but no reliable conclusions about their suitability have been found. The aim of the study is to compare different floor types of different age in farrowing pens. In the project measurements and studies are made in a number of pig houses with farrowing pens with concrete floors and with plastic coated concrete floors of different age.

The project is funded by Partnerskap Alnarp

Duration of the project: 2014-2015
Project Leader: Sven Nimmermark
Other contributors: Anna Karlsson

Publications:

Karlsson, A., & Nimmermark, S. 2015. Hållbarhet av golv i grisningsboxen – en jämförande studie mellan obehandlade och plastade betonggolv samt hur golvkvaliteten kan påverka smågrishälsan LTV-fakultetens faktablad, Fakta från partnerskap Alnarp (pp. 4). Alnarp: SLU

Karlsson, A. 2014. Hållbarhet av golv i grisningsboxen - En jämförande studie mellan obehandlade och plastade betonggolv samt hur golvkvaliteten kan påverka smågrishälsan (Floor durability of the farrowing pen - A comparative study of concrete floors, untreated and with plastic coatings, and how the floor quality may affect the health of piglets). MSc Thesis, 30HP, Swedish University of Agricultural sciences (SLU): http://stud.epsilon.slu.se/7589/