Research into pig enrichment has identified specific materials and designs that most effectively meet pig behavioral needs, providing practical guidance for producers and welfare advocates.
The welfare science of pig enrichment has moved beyond debate about whether enrichment matters — it clearly does — to questions about what types and amounts most effectively address behavioral needs. Research using preference tests and behavioral indicators consistently shows that manipulable substrate, particularly straw, best addresses the rooting and foraging drive that is central to pig behavioral identity. The regulatory standard in many jurisdictions — requiring access to manipulable material but not specifying minimum amounts or types — has resulted in inadequate enrichment provision in many commercial settings. From a welfare perspective, the standard should be set by what pigs actually do when given free choice of enrichment types, not by what is cheapest or most convenient to provide. Implementing evidence-based enrichment protocols across commercial pig farming would represent one of the most impactful welfare improvements available in the sector.