Lameness in breeding sows

Lameness in breeding sows

Lameness is painful for the affected animal and it limits its ability to deal with the environment. Furthermore lameness is also often the cause of culling, which causes financial loss for the farmer. The results of a study on lameness in breeding sows in organic farming show that management has a major influence on the lameness situation. In general, adequate exercise, regeneration through a comfortable lying area and timely detection of lameness is very important.

The risk of developing lameness increases with
• the number of litters
• the number of swellings on the limbs of the animals
• hooves that have grown too long, and need trimming
• incorrect assessment of the lameness prevalence (lameness situation) by the farm manager
• the absence of free running space for gilts
• insufficient cleaning of the housing-area of pregnant sows

Recommendations for practice:
• Early recognition of lameness is very important; special attention should be paid to the animals, who:
o show an uneven gait - both from the side and from behind (stiff and / or unrhythmic locomotion),
o get up last in the event of a disturbance (in the stable) and then lie down first, or
o spend most of their time lying down or sitting and are more reluctant to move than the others.
• Concerted prevention by:
o Increase the amount of litter in the resting area to avoid swellings,
o repair of damaged running surfaces,
o Professional hoof care and timely treatment of infections (even with low lameness),
o Timely sorting out of (too) old and highly lame animals.