Providing enrichment to breeding sows in intensive pig farms reduces stereotypies, stress behaviors, and improves overall welfare outcomes.
Sows confined in barren environments without the ability to root, explore, or engage in natural behaviors suffer from chronic frustration and stress. This manifests as stereotypic behaviors such as bar-biting and head-weaving, which signal severe welfare compromise. Provision of rooting substrates satisfies a fundamental behavioral need and measurably improves welfare. Industry transition to group housing with enrichment represents a significant step forward, though implementation quality varies widely.