Farm Animals

Pig Welfare and Welfare and Social Learning

Pigs use social learning to acquire skills and information from conspecifics, with welfare implications for how knowledge spreads within groups.

Key Facts

Pigs learn to use novel food sources faster when observing experienced individuals
Social learning allows welfare-beneficial behaviours like enrichment use to spread through groups
Fear responses can spread through groups via social learning, amplifying stressors
Positive social learning creates opportunities for welfare-enhancing behaviour spread through careful group management
Young pigs learn feeding, nesting, and foraging behaviours from older group members

Welfare Considerations

Pig social learning is a welfare opportunity. By managing groups to allow positive behaviour transmission, welfare-enhancing behaviours can spread naturally through pig populations.

What You Can Do

Advocate for group housing that enables social learning between pigs
Support research on positive social learning for welfare benefit in pig groups
Engage with the welfare implications of pig social cognition