Tail docking is routinely performed in intensive pig systems to prevent tail biting. The procedure causes pain, while the underlying causes of biting can be addressed through management.
Tail docking is a painful mutilation performed as a reaction to poor welfare conditions rather than addressing their cause. Pigs bite tails because they are frustrated, bored, overcrowded, or nutritionally deficient - conditions that motivate redirected oral behavior. Docking reduces injury severity but does not resolve the underlying problem. The ethical path forward, demonstrated by producers in several countries, is to improve enrichment, reduce stocking density, and optimize nutrition to prevent biting outbreaks without permanent mutilation.