Access to outdoor space provides pigs with opportunities to express natural behaviors, dramatically improving welfare compared to intensive indoor systems.
Outdoor access transforms pig welfare by enabling the full behavioral repertoire that intensive housing denies. Rooting, wallowing, social exploration, and varied locomotion are fundamental to pig psychological wellbeing. The welfare literature consistently shows that pigs in outdoor systems exhibit fewer indicators of stress and frustration. While outdoor systems face challenges including predation risk and environmental variability, these are manageable with good husbandry and do not negate the substantial welfare gains.