Farm Animal Welfare

Pig Straw Provision and Rooting Welfare

Straw provision satisfies the strong pig motivation for rooting and manipulation, significantly improving welfare in housed systems through enrichment of the most relevant type.

Key Facts

Rooting and manipulation are the highest-priority behaviours pigs are motivated to perform
Straw provision reduces tail biting by up to 80% in some study settings
Straw provides thermal insulation, substrate for play, and material for nest building
Slurry handling systems on many farms are incompatible with straw use
Pen design modifications can enable straw use even on some slatted floor systems

Welfare Considerations

Straw addresses the fundamental rooting motivation in pigs more effectively than any other enrichment material. Barriers to straw use including slurry systems represent a design conflict that can and should be resolved to enable this high-welfare-value intervention.

What You Can Do

Advocate for straw use requirements in pig welfare certification standards
Support farmers transitioning to deep litter systems that enable straw provision
Choose pork products certified to require straw or other rooting substrate provision