Farrowing crates confine sows for weeks around birth to prevent piglet crushing, but cause severe welfare harm to sows — a tension at the centre of pig welfare reform debates.
Farrowing crates represent a sharp conflict between sow welfare and commercial piglet survival objectives. Sows in crates cannot express fundamental behaviours — nest building, turning, socialising with piglets — for weeks at the most demanding time of their lives. The assumption that crates are necessary to prevent piglet crushing is increasingly contested by evidence from well-designed free farrowing pens. Economic resistance to change is strong because free farrowing requires more space and stockperson time. However, progressive countries and retailers are demonstrating that transition is feasible. Consumer and legislative pressure are accelerating the shift toward crate-free systems.