The farrowing period — birth and nursing of piglets — presents welfare challenges for both the sow and her offspring, with cage systems protecting piglets but restricting the sow significantly.
The farrowing crate represents one of the most acute welfare compromises in modern pig production. Confining a sow so tightly that she cannot turn around for up to five weeks — across multiple pregnancies — causes chronic frustration and physical deterioration. Sows in crates cannot exhibit normal nesting behaviour before birth and cannot respond naturally to their piglets. The compromise between sow welfare and piglet welfare is real but not as stark as often portrayed: well-designed freedom farrowing systems with anti-crush features can achieve low piglet mortality while meeting sow behavioural needs.