Tail biting in pigs is a serious welfare problem causing pain, infection, and sometimes death, driven by inadequate enrichment, overcrowding, and poor management rather than innate aggression.
Tail biting is a management failure, not an inevitable consequence of pig farming. The scientific evidence is clear: provide adequate enrichment, appropriate stocking density, good air quality, and sufficient feed and water access, and most tail biting is preventable. The routine docking of piglet tails to manage an environment-driven problem treats the symptom rather than the cause, and causes its own welfare harm. Regulatory and industry progress toward intact-tail production in the UK and EU requires investment in better environments - investment that also improves productivity through reduced disease and stress.