The type and quality of rooting substrate provided to pigs significantly affects the welfare benefit they receive, with some materials far more effective than others.
Substrate quality for pig rooting matters enormously for welfare benefit. EU legislation requires manipulable material for pigs, but compliance ranges from deep straw that allows full rooting behavior to plastic chains that provide minimal welfare value. Research using preference tests consistently shows pigs invest significantly more time in organic materials like straw, hay, and compost than inorganic alternatives. The welfare benefit is proportional to the material quality, and audit standards that specify acceptable materials rather than just their presence deliver better outcomes.