Why rubber mats in sow houses?
Group housing
Extremity problems like claw and limb diseases, as well as lameness, are increasingly among the reasons for culling sows in group
housing. For group housing to function with high performance animals, sow agility and freedom of movement, together with joint and
claw health, are the paramount factors. Conventional concrete slatted floors are too hard and abrasive, especially in the lying area.
Consequences:
- laying down and getting up on hard floors takes effort and negatively affects lying behaviour
- joint swelling
- joint and wall horn abrasion during lying
- mechanical weakening of the claw
- injuries are entryways for pathogens - on the joints as well as the coronal edge (paronchia)
- severe lameness to some extent
Are rubber mats now ready for everyday use - TopAgrar article 11/10
Farrowing house
Existing floors in farrowing houses are often slippery.
Hard lying surfaces increase the risk of shoulder ulcer formation.
Consequences:
- with fear of slipping sows get up less
-> decreased feed and water intake
-> increased risk of MMA (mastitis-metritisagalactiae syndrome)
-> rearing performance gets worse - increased crushing losses
- lying too long in one position increases the risk of shoulder ulcer formation
-> inflammations and pain lower sow performance
