Pigs raised outdoors can express natural behaviors including rooting, wallowing, and social exploration. Outdoor systems offer significant welfare advantages when managed well.
Outdoor pig production allows behavioral expression that is simply impossible in indoor systems. Rooting in soil, wallowing, and exploring large areas meet fundamental behavioral needs. Outdoor sows with access to farrowing areas show lower rates of crushing and better mothering behavior than indoor sows. Environmental management including rotation and appropriate stocking prevents land degradation. Consumer demand for outdoor-reared pork drives the market that makes these systems economically viable.