Pigs are highly intelligent animals with complex behavioural needs. Enriched housing that provides rooting materials, space, and social opportunities dramatically improves their welfare compared to barren intensive systems.
Pigs in barren, overcrowded, and understimulating environments suffer from chronic frustration, redirected aggression, and physical injuries from tail biting. These are not merely production problems — they represent significant suffering in sentient animals. Enriched environments with straw, wood, and rooting materials reduce injurious behaviour dramatically. Higher welfare systems also show economic benefits through reduced medication costs and improved productivity, demonstrating that animal welfare and farm economics are not necessarily in conflict.