Outdoor pig farming offers significant welfare advantages over intensive indoor systems but introduces specific challenges related to climate, disease, and environmental impact that require careful management.
Outdoor pig farming represents a substantial welfare improvement over standard intensive indoor confinement. The ability to root, wallow, explore, and engage in social behavior in a more naturalistic environment addresses fundamental behavioral needs that indoor systems cannot meet. Outdoor pigs show better behavioral welfare indicators including lower aggression, reduced tail biting, and near-absence of the stereotypic behaviors common in barren indoor environments. Challenges include managing predation risk, climate extremes, and the parasitism that increases with soil exposure. Piglet welfare in outdoor farrowing systems requires careful hut design and management to prevent hypothermia and crushing deaths. Overall, the welfare evidence strongly favors outdoor systems over conventional intensive confinement when outdoor systems are well-managed.