Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Social Learning and Group Welfare

How pigs learn from each other and the importance of social learning for group welfare outcomes.

Key Facts

Pigs learn by observing experienced pen mates performing tasks
Naive pigs paired with experienced individuals learn faster and experience less stress
Social stability enables the sharing of welfare-relevant information between pigs
Disruption of social learning through mixing imposes welfare costs beyond aggression alone
Social learning can be used positively in stockperson-pig interaction training

Welfare Considerations

Social learning in pigs means that group management decisions have multiplier effects on welfare, with stable groups enabling transmission of adaptive knowledge between individuals.

What You Can Do

Support stable social group management practices on pig farms
Advocate for mixing restrictions in pig welfare standards
Encourage research into positive applications of social learning for pig welfare