The final weeks of a pig's life in finishing systems determine their terminal welfare experience, with stocking density, social stability, and environment affecting both welfare and meat quality.
Finishing system welfare is frequently neglected in welfare discussions that focus on breeding and young pig welfare: billions of pigs spend their final weeks in finishing systems where stocking density, social stability, and environment determine both daily welfare and end-of-life experience. High stocking density in finishing causes chronic overcrowding stress; mixing pigs causes acute aggression; barren environments prevent expression of natural behaviours. Finishing welfare improvements — appropriate density, stable groups, enrichment — are achievable and directly improve the welfare of pigs during the final phase of their lives.