Research on pig enrichment has identified specific materials and delivery methods that most effectively meet pig behavioral needs in commercial settings.
Not all enrichment is equal, and the gap between the enrichment mandated in practice and the enrichment that actually meets pig welfare needs is significant. Hanging chains — cheap and administratively easy — are nearly ubiquitous but do almost nothing for pig welfare indicators. Straw and other manipulable substrates that engage the rooting drive are dramatically more effective but create management challenges in slatted floor systems. The science is clear, but practical and economic barriers to implementing effective enrichment remain. Certification systems that specify effective enrichment types rather than accepting any enrichment object are more welfare-meaningful.