Tail docking of piglets is routine in many countries but is itself a welfare harm. Addressing the root causes of tail biting offers a better welfare path.
Tail docking is a response to a welfare problem — tail biting — that is itself caused by poor welfare conditions. The ethical logic is circular: intensive production creates stress and boredom that causes tail biting, so tails are cut to prevent damage from a behaviour that should not occur in adequately managed pigs. The EU's legal position is correct in principle: tail docking should be a last resort, not a routine industrial practice. Welfare-focused producers demonstrate that enriched environments with adequate straw or rooting substrate, appropriate stocking densities, good ventilation, and attentive stockmanship can eliminate tail biting without docking. The challenge is translating this knowledge into industry-wide practice through better enforcement and incentive structures.