Sows have a powerful instinct to build a nest before farrowing that is completely frustrated in gestation crate systems, causing significant welfare harm at one of the most vulnerable moments in their lives.
Sow farrowing welfare is one of the most significant welfare issues in commercial pig production. The combination of behavioral restriction from crates, frustration of the powerful nest-building drive, and the physical demands of farrowing creates a severe welfare burden at the most physiologically demanding period in a sow life. Research consistently shows that sows with access to space and nesting materials have shorter farrowings, more successful deliveries, and better piglet survival — the welfare benefits align with productivity benefits. Free farrowing systems that allow nest building and movement are commercially viable and increasingly adopted by progressive producers responding to consumer and legislative pressure.