Pigs are among the most cognitively sophisticated farm animals, yet this intelligence is rarely considered in their housing and management. Understanding pig cognition changes how we should think about their welfare.
Pig intelligence is not merely a curiosity — it has direct welfare implications. A highly intelligent animal in a barren, unstimulating environment suffers proportionally more than a less cognitively complex one. Pigs in impoverished environments develop frustration, aggression, and stereotypies at higher rates. Cognitive bias testing — measuring whether pigs interpret ambiguous stimuli optimistically or pessimistically — now provides a validated window into their subjective welfare state. Pigs that have access to rooting substrate, social novelty, foraging challenges, and outdoor access score more optimistically than those in barren pens. This science is actively informing housing standards.