Tail docking of piglets is a painful procedure performed to prevent tail biting, but it treats a symptom rather than the overcrowded, barren conditions that cause the behavior.
Tail docking exemplifies how industrial pig farming addresses welfare problems by treating symptoms rather than causes. Tail biting — a severe welfare problem in which pigs chew each other tails, sometimes causing serious injury — emerges from the frustration and boredom of overcrowded, barren environments. Rather than improving conditions, the industry response has been to dock tails shortly after birth without anesthesia, causing acute pain to prevent a consequence of poor housing. The evidence is clear that providing adequate space, rooting materials, and environmental complexity prevents tail biting without the need for a painful mutilation procedure.