Tail docking of piglets is controversial - it reduces tail biting in intensive systems but causes pain and removes a natural appendage, driving evidence-based debate about alternatives.
Tail docking represents a painful procedure performed to prevent a painful outcome, making it a genuine welfare dilemma. The problem is that routine docking has become a substitute for addressing the root causes of tail biting - inadequate enrichment, excessive density and poor stockmanship. Farms that provide sufficient rooting substrate, appropriate stocking density and good stockmanship can keep intact tails successfully. The legal framework in the EU prohibits routine docking for exactly this reason - it should be exceptional, not standard. Welfare improvement requires enforcement of the legal prohibition alongside support for farmers transitioning to intact-tail management. Consumer demand for pork from non-docked systems creates market incentives for change.