Pigs are highly intelligent, curious animals with strong motivation to root, explore, and manipulate their environment. Providing appropriate enrichment materials is a legal requirement in the EU and UK and a fundamental welfare need.
The legal requirement for enrichment materials reflects scientific consensus that pigs suffer in barren environments. Tail biting, which causes pain and can lead to severe injury and death, is strongly associated with barren conditions and is largely preventable through adequate enrichment. Providing meaningful enrichment is not merely a welfare nicety but a fundamental requirement for pigs to express their behavioral repertoire and maintain psychological wellbeing. Some intensive systems struggle to provide sufficient enrichment, particularly without bedding, making systemic change necessary.