Farmed Animals

Tail Biting in Pigs and Prevention

Tail biting is a serious welfare problem in commercial pig production that causes pain, infection, and severe injury.

Key Facts

Tail biting outbreaks can affect up to 30% of pigs in a commercial unit
Bitten pigs experience acute pain, secondary infection, and spinal abscess
Tail docking is widely performed to reduce damage but does not address root causes
Enrichment, low stocking density, and good ventilation reduce tail biting risk
Monitoring for early signs allows intervention before serious injury occurs

Welfare Considerations

Tail biting causes severe welfare harm through acute pain, infection, systemic illness, and death from spinal abscess. Root causes include frustration from barren environments, poor ventilation, nutritional deficiencies, and high stocking density. While tail docking reduces the severity of damage when biting occurs, addressing root causes through enrichment and management is the welfare priority.

What You Can Do

Support welfare standards that require enrichment to reduce tail biting
Advocate for reduction of tail docking through addressing root causes
Raise awareness about tail biting as a key welfare indicator in pig systems
Support research into effective tail biting prevention strategies
Choose pork from systems that demonstrate low tail biting prevalence