Understanding pig social behaviour and dominance hierarchy formation is essential for managing group-housed pigs in ways that minimise aggression and promote positive social interactions.
Pig social management is a critical welfare challenge in group housing systems. Aggression during mixing is inevitable as pigs establish social order, but its severity can be dramatically reduced through management. Providing multiple resources so competition does not concentrate at single points, using visual barriers and escape routes that allow subordinate pigs to avoid dominant animals, and matching pigs by size and familiarity before mixing all reduce mixing aggression. Once stable, pig social groups are relatively peaceful and affiliative. The goal is to minimise the duration and severity of establishment aggression.