Environmental complexity and manipulable enrichment materials are essential for pig welfare, reducing aggression, stereotypies, and improving positive affective states.
Pigs are among the most cognitively sophisticated farmed animals, with problem-solving abilities comparable to young children. Barren environments create chronic frustration that manifests as aggression, tail biting, and stereotypic bar chewing — clear indicators of poor welfare. The enrichment research base is robust: organic, manipulable materials that engage the rooting instinct produce the strongest behavioral benefits. However, the gap between regulatory minimum compliance and genuinely enriched environments remains large in commercial practice.