Sows in commercial pig production have complex enrichment needs that extend beyond basic substrate provision to include maternal behaviour opportunities and cognitive stimulation throughout the production cycle.
Sow enrichment is frequently discussed in terms of simple object provision, but the science supports a more sophisticated understanding of what sows find rewarding and need for positive welfare. The nest-building drive is not a minor preference but a strong motivational state that causes significant frustration when prevented. Rooting and foraging motivation similarly occupies a substantial portion of the sow's motivated behaviour budget. Cognitive research demonstrates that sows can learn and benefit from problem-solving challenges, suggesting that cognitive enrichment adds a dimension beyond physical manipulation. Group housing, increasingly required by welfare legislation, creates social complexity that enrichment must address to prevent competition-driven aggression. The emerging welfare science for sows points toward systems that provide substrate, social stability, space, and cognitive challenge as integrated components of good welfare provision.