Enrichment materials are legally required for pigs in the EU and UK, but quality varies enormously. Evidence-based enrichment selection significantly improves pig welfare outcomes.
The gap between legal enrichment requirements and effective enrichment provision represents a major welfare policy failure. Suspended chains permitted under legislation fail to satisfy rooting motivation because pigs cannot perform the full root-and-push behaviour chain. Straw bedding or deep substrate is consistently the most effective enrichment, reducing harmful behaviours by 80-90% compared to chains alone. Where straw is impractical, rotating multiple novel materials, providing edible substrates, and ensuring sufficient quantity per animal reduces the welfare deficit.