Tail docking of piglets is widely practiced to prevent tail biting but addresses only the symptom of an overcrowded, enrichment-deprived environment rather than the conditions that drive the behavior.
Tail docking causes acute pain in piglets and leaves a sensitive stump that may cause chronic discomfort. It is performed as a prophylactic measure because the farming environment itself creates the conditions for tail biting - crowded, barren pens without adequate enrichment or space. Addressing the root cause through enrichment and reduced density protects both the welfare of individuals who would be tail biters and those who would be victims. The success of intact-tail pig production in enriched Scandinavian systems demonstrates that the choice between docking and biting is a false binary created by inadequate housing.