How a systematic approach to enrichment novelty rotation maximises the welfare benefits of pig enrichment on commercial farms.
Enrichment rotation is the practical welfare intervention that converts static provision (hanging a single chain and forgetting it) into dynamic provision that maintains real benefits throughout the production period. The science of habituation is clear: pigs lose interest in familiar objects quickly, and an object that produced active engagement on day 1 may produce almost none by day 5. Rotating items through a schedule — or introducing genuinely novel items regularly — sustains the exploratory engagement that drives welfare benefits. This does not require large capital investment but does require planning, commitment, and the creative use of low-cost materials including natural substrates, different types of hay, and varied hanging objects.