Th e aim of this survey was to collect information on the prevelance of\u00a0lameness and hoof lesions on genetic nucleus herds, to help provide\u00a0baseline information on the prevelance of lameness and hoof lesions\u00a0in Canadian sows. Six genetic herds were visted, located in AB, SK,\u00a0MB, ON and QC. Results found a wide variation in lameness across\u00a0the herds, ranging from 8 \u2013 46%. Combining data from all herds (1,139\u00a0sows in total), 20% of sows showed signs of lameness. although much of\u00a0this was mild, with only 5% showing signs of more severe lameness. In\u00a0all barns surveyed, a high percentage of sows were observed with hoof\u00a0lesions, with 74 \u2013 97% of animals affected. Heel erosion was the most\u00a0common hoof lesion observed, being present in > 50% of sows in four\u00a0barns. These results suggest that leg and hoof health problems exist,\u00a0and could be added to sow evaluation or selection criteria. The fact\u00a0that some barns had much lower levels of lameness suggests that some\u00a0herds may carry beneficial genetic traits that help reduce lameness. \u00a0The baseline information gathered from this survey presents useful\u00a0information for industry and researchers alike, and demonstrates that\u00a0greater emphasis may be needed on sow robustness, especially as group\u00a0housing for sows becomes more common. Further work to determine\u00a0characteristics of sows with good leg health and hooves, along with\u00a0genetic links related to leg and hoof health is of interest, and would help\u00a0improve the welfare and longevity of sows, and aid in the development\u00a0of more robust sows for use in group housing.<\/p>\n