Enrichment for farmed pigs addresses their complex behavioral needs and reduces injurious behaviors. The science of what works guides effective enrichment provision in commercial settings.
Pig enrichment science has moved from vague requirements for manipulable materials to evidence-based understanding of what actually addresses pig behavioral motivation. The key finding is that rooting and foraging motivation drives welfare compromise in barren environments, making substrate-based enrichment that satisfies rooting needs dramatically more effective than suspended objects. Straw, compost, and root vegetables address the root behavioral need rather than providing a distraction. Commercial adoption of effective enrichment is constrained by slat floor systems incompatible with substrate provision, making this a fundamental system design challenge requiring structural solutions beyond incremental improvement.