Enrichment provision is legally required for farmed pigs in the UK and EU, yet the quality of enrichment varies enormously. Understanding what effective enrichment looks like is important.
Pig enrichment welfare is an area where the legal requirement exists but enforcement is weak and quality varies enormously. A chain hanging in a barren pen technically satisfies the letter of the law but fails to address pigs' fundamental motivation to root and explore. Research consistently shows that organic, chewable, exploratory materials - particularly straw - produce the most effective enrichment outcomes. Pigs given access to adequate straw show lower tail biting, lower aggression, and better welfare indicators than those given chains or plastic objects. Strengthening enrichment standards to require genuinely effective materials - and enforcing compliance - would deliver substantial welfare improvements across the UK pig herd.