Biomechanical gait analysis of pigs walking on solid concrete floor

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Biomechanics
• Veterinary Medicine

Background:

• Slippery flooring in pig pens can lead to leg problems and reduced animal welfare.
• Understanding pig locomotion on different floor conditions is crucial for improving housing design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize pig gait on dry concrete.
• To evaluate gait modifications in response to floor slipperiness.
• To determine a safe coefficient of friction (COF) for pig walking.

Main Methods:

• Collected kinematic and kinetic data from 30 pigs walking on dry, greasy, and wet concrete floors.
• Analyzed gait parameters including speed, stride length, and stance duration.
• Measured floor COF using a drag-test and calculated utilized COF during locomotion.

Main Results:

• Pigs reduced walking speed and utilized COF on greasy and wet floors compared to dry.
• Greasy floors induced the most significant gait adaptations, including shorter progression length and longer stance phase.
• Forelimbs supported more load and experienced higher peak forces than hindlimbs.

Conclusions:

• Pigs actively adapt their gait to slippery conditions, with greasy floors posing the greatest challenge.
• A minimum floor COF of 0.63 is suggested for dry concrete to ensure safe pig ambulation.
• These findings can inform the design of safer flooring in swine facilities.