Outdoor pig production provides natural behaviour opportunities but requires careful management to ensure welfare benefits are realised.
Outdoor pig systems offer genuine welfare advantages — pigs can root in soil, wallow in mud, socialise in stable groups, and express a much fuller behavioural repertoire than intensive indoor counterparts. However, welfare benefit is not guaranteed by outdoor access alone. Summer heat without adequate shade or wallowing areas causes heat stress; winter cold without adequate shelter causes hypothermia; parasite management becomes more complex without the biosecurity of indoor systems. Welfare-positive outdoor pig production manages these challenges actively rather than assuming outdoor access solves all welfare problems. Consumer support for outdoor pork should be directed toward certified systems with genuine welfare management commitments.