Tail docking in pigs is performed to prevent tail biting but causes acute and chronic pain, and EU law requires it only as a last resort after other preventive measures have failed.
Tail docking welfare is a procedural harm performed to prevent a more serious harm from tail biting. The key question is whether the tail biting problem can be addressed at its root cause rather than through painful mutilation. Evidence from Sweden and Norway, where routine docking has been largely eliminated, demonstrates that management of rooting motivation through enrichment and environmental improvement can control tail biting without routine docking. The welfare balance clearly favours addressing root causes where possible rather than routinely imposing procedural pain on all animals.