Artificial insemination is near-universal in commercial pig production, with welfare implications for semen collection boars and recipient sows.
AI welfare considerations in pig production are often overlooked because AI is perceived as a welfare-neutral technical procedure. Collection boars - typically a small number of highly selected animals supplying large amounts of semen to many farms - may be housed without appropriate social contact, in stressful environments, or without adequate space and enrichment. The focus on genetic performance in collection boar selection without attention to their welfare needs creates welfare risks for these individual animals. For recipient sows, the AI process itself is minimally stressful but the management systems surrounding reproduction - including housing during the critical weeks after service - significantly affect welfare outcomes.