Pigs are cognitively comparable to dogs and young children, yet are typically housed in barren environments that prevent expression of their complex behavioral needs.
Pigs in barren concrete pens cannot root, explore, or perform the foraging behaviors that occupy most of their waking time in natural settings. The resulting frustration causes aggression, tail biting, and redirected rooting on pen-mates and structures. Tail docking — cutting off tails to prevent damage from biting — is performed as a management response to housing inadequacy rather than addressing the root welfare cause. Enrichment providing chewable, manipulable material dramatically reduces problem behaviors and improves welfare outcomes.