Farm Animals

Pig Aggression and Mixing Management

Aggression during pig mixing causes injury, stress, and welfare harm that is largely preventable through appropriate management strategies.

Key Facts

Mixing pigs from different litters causes intensive fighting for 2-4 hours
Ear and tail wounds from mixing aggression cause infection and chronic pain
Providing shelter and escape routes reduces mixing aggression severity
Night mixing reduces aggression compared to daytime mixing
Some farmers report success with temporary isolation of aggressive individuals

Welfare Considerations

Mixing aggression is predictable and therefore manageable. Strategies that reduce mixing frequency, improve the conditions during mixing events, and provide appropriate resources significantly reduce welfare harm. Minimising the number of mixing events through management continuity from birth to slaughter, and using appropriate mixing conditions when unavoidable, represents the highest-welfare approach to this common management challenge.

What You Can Do

Support welfare standards specifying mixing management protocols
Choose pork from producers committed to minimising pig mixing events
Advocate for housing designs that facilitate stable group management
Encourage farmers to adopt evidence-based mixing management strategies
Support research into novel approaches to reducing mixing aggression in pigs