Kyphosis (humpy back) in growing pigs

Kyphosis (‘humpy back’) is a spinal abnormality seen sporadically on some pig farms, usually involving individual growing pigs.1 The condition renders the pigs non-productive as they generally suffer substantial physical impairment, poor growth and welfare issues that result in them failing to attain slaughter weight. Affected pigs are usually culled by producers at an early age for welfare reasons. This focus article describes an investigation involving a unit in the south of scotland that experienced an unacceptably high number of humpy-backed pigs