Tail biting is one of the most significant welfare problems in pig production, causing injuries that range from minor damage to severe infections requiring euthanasia.
Tail biting welfare is particularly challenging because it is a systemic problem rooted in housing and management conditions, yet management typically responds with intervention on individual animals — tail docking victims, isolating victims, treating wounds — rather than addressing root causes. The motivational basis of tail biting is frustration of rooting and manipulation behaviour in environments that provide insufficient enrichment and space. Addressing these root causes — providing adequate enrichment, reducing stocking density, improving ventilation, and managing social groups — prevents tail biting more effectively and sustainably than post-hoc individual interventions. Electronic detection systems that identify tail biting incidents early enable faster response while management improvements are implemented.