Welfare challenges specific to boars used in pig breeding programs including social isolation, housing and physical management.
Breeding boars occupy a unique and often poorly considered position in pig welfare discussions, overshadowed by the much larger welfare conversations about sows and finishing pigs. Yet boars are highly social, intelligent animals who may spend years in individual housing with limited social contact and restricted movement. The welfare case for improving boar housing includes access to pen-to-pen nose contact with other pigs, enrichment provision, regular exercise and appropriate floor surfaces to reduce lameness risk. These improvements are practically achievable within existing production systems and represent meaningful welfare gains for an underserved group in the broader farm animal welfare conversation.