Research shows that pigs require complex, changing enrichment rather than simple fixed objects to maintain welfare benefits over time.
The habituation of pigs to fixed enrichment objects is a critical insight that distinguishes tokenistic enrichment provision from genuinely effective welfare improvement. A fixed chain or piece of rope becomes part of the background environment within days, providing no ongoing welfare benefit. Enrichment that changes over time, provides multiple simultaneous options, and includes natural materials that degrade and must be replaced maintains the novelty that sustains its welfare function.