Understanding the natural behaviours of pigs is fundamental to providing good welfare in farmed settings, as frustration of instinctive behaviours causes significant suffering.
Pig natural behaviour research has documented the profound mismatch between intensive production environments and the species' behavioural needs. Rooting is not a preference but a drive: pigs deprived of rooting substrates redirect rooting behaviour to pen mates, causing injury. Social manipulation and exploration are similarly fundamental. Providing environments that allow full expression of the pigs' behavioural repertoire is not merely an ethical aspiration but a practical necessity for reducing aggression, injury, and stress-related productivity losses.