Effect of a synthetic plate in the lying area on lying behaviour, degree of fouling and skin lesions at the leg joints of finishing pigs

Flooring type may have a major influence on thermoregulatory behaviour in finishing pigs, as well as on the occurrence of skin lesions at their leg joints and pen fouling. In this study, we compared the lying behaviour, pen fouling and the occurrence of leg lesions in finishing pigs kept in partly slatted pens with a concrete lying area covered with either a non-deformable synthetic plate or a small amount of straw (100g per pig an day), or left bare, whilst controlling for the effects of temperature and pig weight.