Rooting is one of the most strongly motivated behaviors in pigs, and its deprivation in barren environments causes chronic frustration and welfare harm across billions of animals.
Rooting deprivation in commercial pig farming is a major welfare issue affecting hundreds of millions of animals. The drive to root is so strong that pigs in barren environments redirect it onto pen mates, contributing to tail biting and ear biting. Providing straw or other appropriate substrates allows pigs to express this fundamental behavior and produce measurable welfare improvements. The cost of substrate provision is modest; the barrier is primarily the management effort involved and concerns about manure handling in slatted floor systems.