The farrowing crate - confining sows in individual crates during and after birth - is one of the most contested welfare practices in pig production. Crates prevent sow movement, causing frustration, inability to perform nesting behaviour, and postural discomfort over 4-5 week confinement periods. Benefits include reduced piglet crushing mortality (pre-weaning mortality reduced from 15-20% to 8-12%) and easier feeding management. Free farrowing systems - allowing sow movement in a larger pen - restore behavioural freedom but require higher stockmanship skill to manage crushing risk. Research demonstrates that well-designed free farrowing systems achieve comparable or lower piglet mortality to crates with appropriate training and pen design. New Zealand banned farrowing crates from 2015; Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, and UK have restrictions. The EU proposed banning crates from 2027, though implementation is contested by industry.