Rooting is one of the most strongly motivated natural behaviours in pigs, and its frustration in barren environments causes significant welfare harm.
Rooting in substrate is a highly motivated behaviour in pigs that cannot be satisfied by straw racks or chains alone. When rooting is frustrated by barren environments, pigs redirect the behaviour onto pen mates, causing tail biting and ear injuries. Providing deep rooting substrate such as straw, compost, or peat addresses this fundamental welfare need. The persistent failure to provide adequate rooting material across the industry represents a systemic welfare failure affecting hundreds of millions of pigs annually.