Pigs are highly intelligent animals with complex foraging and exploration needs; providing environmental complexity and enrichment is essential for psychological wellbeing in intensive production systems.
In barren environments, pigs experience significant psychological suffering expressed through redirected behaviours and aggression. The motivation to root and explore is a fundamental biological drive; inability to express it causes frustration and chronic stress. Evidence-based enrichment programmes that provide straw, wood, or other rooting substrates substantially improve welfare by meeting these core motivational needs. Cost barriers to enrichment provision in slatted floor systems are real but addressable through innovation and policy support.