Tail docking of pigs prevents tail biting but causes acute pain and removes the ability to perform natural tail movements. The welfare science supports addressing root causes rather than preventive docking.
Tail docking represents a management compromise that accepts piglet pain to prevent the consequences of a system poorly designed for pig behavioral needs. A pig's tail is not a vestigial appendage - it is used for social communication and expression. Removing it causes acute pain at docking and creates a permanent alteration to the animal's behavioral repertoire. The welfare case against routine tail docking is strengthened by evidence that tail biting can be substantially controlled without docking when underlying risk factors are addressed. The EU has nominally banned routine docking while allowing widespread exceptions - a regulatory failure that reflects industry economic resistance to the management changes needed to make tail-intact pig production viable at scale.