Research on the farrowing behaviour of sows and gilts reveals a complex sequence of nest-building, birth management and maternal care that conventional farrowing crates systematically prevent.
The science of farrowing behaviour reveals just how far conventional farrowing crates depart from the behavioural biology of the sow. A highly motivated nesting drive that evolved over millions of years is completely thwarted in crates where sows can only perform ineffectual scratching at a concrete floor. The stress of frustrated nesting motivation in the hours before birth adds to the welfare costs of confinement itself. Free-farrowing systems that allow nest building and appropriate space for birth and nursing positions allow sows to express this behavioural sequence while still enabling farmer supervision. The welfare transition from farrowing crates to free-farrowing systems is achievable and increasingly adopted by progressive producers seeking welfare-positive production.