[Alterations of the integument of fattening pigs in different housing systems].

Alterations of the integument of fattening pigs were investigated on a total of eleven farms with the following housing systems: "Krieger" system, fully slatted floors, partially slatted floors and kennel housing systems. For this purpose, the alterations of the integument of the animals were visually assessed at different times during fattening. In addition, spot investigations were carried out on three farms with deep litter systems. In the non-littered systems, significantly more changes at the limbs were observed than in the littered systems. The least damages occurred in the deep litter system. Similar as with cattle, soft and deformable lying areas seem to be a prerequisite for the prevention of such alterations. With respect to injuries caused by tailbiting, apart from possibilities of activity, other parameters such as air quality and space availability also play an important role.