Farrowing crates — individual confinement stalls used during and after giving birth — are among the most contested welfare issues in pig farming, requiring a careful weighing of sow welfare against piglet crushing risk.
The welfare dilemma around farrowing crates is genuine: the sow experiences significant suffering from confinement — inability to perform nesting, restricted movement for weeks, and muscle atrophy — while piglets in loose-housed systems face higher crushing risk. However, well-designed loose farrowing systems with protective features (anti-crush bars, sloped pen walls, nest boxes) can substantially reduce piglet mortality while restoring sow behavioural freedom. The key welfare intervention is investment in better-designed farrowing systems rather than accepting the binary choice between crates and standard loose pens. The industry is moving toward this conclusion, though the transition requires significant capital investment that smaller producers may struggle to fund.