Tail docking is performed to prevent tail biting in commercial pigs, but it is a painful procedure that treats the symptom rather than the cause. Addressing root causes is the welfare-positive alternative.
Tail docking causes acute pain during the procedure and potentially chronic pain at the stump site. It is performed because tail biting, which also causes severe welfare harm, is otherwise difficult to prevent in commercial systems. The EU ban reflects the position that docking treats a symptom of inadequate husbandry rather than the underlying causes. Yet the ban is routinely breached because the management changes required to prevent tail biting, particularly straw provision and reduced stocking density, impose costs that many producers are unwilling to bear. Enforcement of the existing ban, combined with support for the management transitions required, is the regulatory solution.