Oral stereotypies in pigs — repetitive, apparently functionless oral movements — are important welfare indicators that signal chronic frustration and inadequate behavioural opportunity.
Oral stereotypies in pigs are diagnostic welfare indicators with important management implications. Their presence signals chronic frustration of feeding, foraging, and rooting drives — typically indicating inadequate enrichment, competitive feeding situations, or high stocking densities. Their persistence after housing improvements shows that prevention is more welfare-effective than correction. Monitoring stereotypy prevalence as a welfare audit measure provides real-time information about the adequacy of the housing environment. High stereotypy prevalence indicates a system failure requiring structural intervention rather than individual treatment of affected animals.