Providing rooting substrate for pigs is a legal requirement in the EU and a key welfare improvement; implementation in commercial systems requires practical solutions that maintain biosecurity and production efficiency.
Rooting enrichment provision is one of the clearest cases of a welfare improvement that has regulatory backing, commercial alignment (reducing tail-biting losses), and a strong evidence base — yet implementation remains variable. The practical challenges of substrate provision in fully slatted systems are real but solvable through dispensers, suspended objects, and enrichment racks. Compliance with the letter of the law — providing a token enrichment object — without genuine engagement with the rooting motivation it addresses fails the welfare purpose of the requirement.