Commercial free farrowing systems have demonstrated that sow and piglet welfare can both be protected without confining sows in farrowing crates.
The commercial availability of multiple validated free farrowing systems demonstrates that sow welfare improvement does not require accepting higher piglet mortality. System design features including heated creep areas, rounded pen corners, and anti-crushing bars achieve both welfare goals simultaneously. Policy support for transition including grants and timeline legislation reduces the financial barriers that prevent individual farmer adoption.