Outdoor pig systems provide dramatically better welfare outcomes than indoor confinement; understanding welfare trade-offs in outdoor systems guides improvement.
Outdoor pig systems provide pigs with access to rooting substrate, mud for thermoregulation, space for natural social behavior, and freedom from extreme confinement. Welfare outcomes are significantly better than indoor systems across most indicators. Challenges include predation risk, parasite management, and weather extremes, but these are manageable with appropriate welfare protocols.