Research on enrichment material quality for pigs shows significant differences in welfare benefit, with manipulable, edible, and destructible materials providing far greater enrichment value than static alternatives.
The quality of enrichment materials makes a profound difference to pig welfare. Providing legally required but functionally inadequate enrichment - a chain dangling from a pen wall - fails pigs just as surely as providing nothing. High-quality enrichment that meets pigs' needs for exploration, rooting, and manipulation requires more investment but produces dramatically better welfare outcomes.