A Review of the Factors Involved in Developing Effective Non-slip Floors for Pigs

Slips and falls on slippery surfaces cause injury to pigs. However, the slip-resistance of floors is not a factor that can be viewed in isolation since other characteristics of the floor (abrasion, surface profile and hardness) also contribute to pig injury. While a floor should be slip-resistant, this must not be achieved by modifying its properties in such a way as to predispose the pig to injury. Discrepancies between the measured coefficients of friction for livestock floors and practical observation of slip lead to the conclusion that the coefficient of friction is not an accurate indication of the amount of slip experienced by livestock. Accurate methods of assessing the slip-resistance of pig floors should closely simulate the hoof/floor interaction.