Addressing sow lameness and mortality with rubber mats

Lameness in breeding sows is the number one identified cause of mortality and one of the top 3 reasons for early removal of the sow from the herd. Health and welfare expert Dr Monique Pairis-Garcia points to recent research at Pipestone Veterinary Clinic in the US where novel approaches are being tested to avoid group housing being the cause of lameness. On a global scale, sow mortality is at the highest ever recorded, with an estimated 13.6% sow loss annually. Of these losses, 25-30% of deat