Modern pig pen design has a profound effect on animal health, behaviour, and psychological wellbeing. Evidence-based design improvements can dramatically reduce suffering on pig farms.
Pigs are highly intelligent animals with complex behavioural needs. Standard commercial pens often fail to meet these needs, resulting in chronic stress, stereotypies, and injuries. The welfare cost is enormous: millions of animals spend their entire lives in environments that prevent them from performing natural behaviours. Straw-bedded systems, group housing with enrichment, and space allowances above legal minimums are achievable interventions that produce measurable welfare gains. Farmers who invest in better pen design often report improved production outcomes alongside welfare benefits.