Pigs are highly social animals with complex dominance hierarchies and communication systems whose social needs are poorly met in many conventional farming configurations, particularly gestation sow housing.
Pig social welfare involves a genuine management challenge: social animals need companions, but introducing unfamiliar pigs leads to aggression and injury. Well-designed group housing that maintains stable social groups, provides adequate space, and offers enrichment materials substantially reduces both social frustration and mixing aggression. The welfare costs of gestation crates — complete social isolation for months at a time — are substantial and well-documented. Industry phase-out commitments made under consumer and retailer pressure demonstrate that welfare-motivated change is achievable at scale.