Routine tail docking of piglets is performed to prevent tail biting, but it is itself a painful procedure and should be replaced by management changes that address root causes.
Tail docking presents a welfare dilemma: the procedure is painful, but untreated tail biting causes severe suffering. The appropriate response is to address the root causes of tail biting through better husbandry rather than accepting docking as unavoidable. Research shows that providing adequate enrichment, maintaining appropriate stocking densities, ensuring complete diets, and correcting environmental deficiencies reduces tail biting to manageable levels in undocked herds. Countries including Finland, Sweden, and Norway maintain largely undocked pig populations through improved husbandry, demonstrating that docking-free production is achievable at scale.