Providing environmental enrichment for farm animals significantly improves their welfare by enabling natural behaviours and reducing boredom and frustration.
Barren environments cause frustration, boredom, and redirected behaviours like tail biting, feather pecking, and bar biting. Enrichment — straw, balls, hanging chains, browse, scratching posts — channels these behaviours appropriately. Play behaviour in enriched environments signals positive emotional states. Enrichment also has economic benefits through reduced injury, better growth rates, and lower medication costs.