Rooting is a fundamental natural behavior for pigs that is almost entirely prevented in intensive housing systems, causing significant welfare deprivation.
Preventing pigs from rooting is equivalent to preventing a behavior that occupies half their natural foraging activity. The frustration of this strong motivational drive contributes to aggression, tail biting, and stereotypic behaviors in intensive systems. Providing substrates including straw, compost, or loose soil satisfies rooting motivation at minimal cost and dramatically improves pig welfare.