Outdoor pig systems allow expression of natural behaviors but face unique welfare challenges including environmental extremes, predation risk, and parasite burden that require active management.
Well-managed outdoor pig systems provide excellent behavioral welfare — rooting, social behavior, thermoregulation through wallowing, and foraging. The welfare challenges are environmental: heat in summer, cold in winter, mud management, and parasite control. The best outdoor systems address these through shelter provision, rotation systems, and regular health monitoring. The behavioral welfare advantages of outdoor systems over confinement systems are substantial.