Calmer pigs when pressure bites With continuously increasing pig growth performance, ensuring stress-free rearing conditions from weaning to slaughter remains a constant challenge.
Factors such as crowding and increased production of heat in the barns place pressure on the animals. Under these conditions, pigs may express boredom and warlike behaviors, including tail biting – one of the most visible issues for farm operators, especially when animals are kept with long tails. While management and nutritional adjustments to minimize these behaviors vary across regions, Zentail offers a consistent foundation. It helps reduce the risk of aggressive behavior, contributing to improved animal welfare and health, and lowering the need for interventions, treatments, and invasive procedures.
Biting goes far beyond animal pain
Chewing and biting are natural pig behaviors used to interact.
However, stressors in barns –such as boredom, competition or discomfort – can easily turn these behaviours into aggressive biting. Environmental, health, and nutritional factors all influence this shift.
Beyond animal pain, biting has a clear economic impact. It increases labor time and treatment costs, while the resulting abscesses can reduce carcass value or lead to rejection at slaughter. Rearing pigs with intact tails is expected to increase in the future. Regulatory pressure, including a planned ban on tail docking in Europe by 2030, as well as growing welfare and consumer expectations, are driving this transition.
Addressing the biology behind tail biting
Once a pig started to express biting, it is almost impossible to solve the issue for the concerned group of animals.
Therefore, in case biting is observed in successive batches, combined measures are needed to prevent future occurrence of the undesired behavior. Once biting behavior starts, it is difficult to resolve within a group. When recurring across batches, preventive and combined approaches are required.
Improving feed access, water quality, and diet composition, as well as providing chewable enrichment can help reduce triggers such as frustration and digestive discomfort. However, these measures should be complemented with solutions that target the biological pathways linked to inflammation, stress and anxiety. By combining plant-based compounds, Zentail helps regulate these pathways, supporting calmer animals and reducing susceptibility to aggressive behaviors.
