Routine tail docking of piglets is performed to prevent tail biting, but both the docking and the behavior it prevents are welfare problems created by poor husbandry.
Tail docking exemplifies a welfare problem that masquerades as a welfare solution. Docking piglets without analgesia causes significant acute pain and potentially ongoing discomfort from neuroma formation. Yet the behavior it prevents — tail biting — causes severe injury to victims and is itself caused by inadequate environments. The ethical path is clear: address the environmental causes of tail biting rather than docking tails. Sweden's success in eliminating both tail biting and tail docking through enrichment mandates proves this is achievable at scale. The persistence of routine docking in other EU countries despite its illegality reflects a failure of enforcement rather than a failure of alternatives.