Pigs are among the most cognitively complex farm animals. Cognitive enrichment that engages their problem-solving abilities significantly improves welfare outcomes.
The cognitive complexity of pigs makes barren housing particularly harmful. Pigs deprived of cognitive stimulation redirect investigatory behavior toward pen-mates, causing tail biting, ear biting, and injury. Routine tail docking is performed to reduce injuries caused by this redirected behavior — itself a symptom of welfare failure rather than a solution. Cognitive enrichment programs that provide novel objects, foraging challenges, and problem-solving tasks address the underlying cause by redirecting motivation appropriately. Rotating enrichment items, providing complexity and challenge rather than simple novelty, and allowing social exploration are the most effective approaches documented in the scientific literature.