Pigs are highly intelligent animals with complex cognitive needs that standard farming environments rarely meet. Cognitive enrichment can dramatically improve their wellbeing.
Cognitive deprivation is a significant but often overlooked welfare issue in pig farming. When intelligent animals are kept in barren environments without opportunities to problem-solve, explore, or learn, they experience frustration and boredom that manifests in harmful behaviors. Providing enrichment that engages pigs mentally not only improves their psychological welfare but also reduces injuries and improves productivity.