Crushing by the sow is the leading cause of piglet death in the first week of life, representing a major welfare and production challenge that innovative housing design and management practices can substantially reduce.
Piglets crushed by sows experience acute trauma — the weight of an adult sow can exceed 250 kg against a piglet weighing under 2 kg. Death is not always immediate, and injured but living piglets may suffer for hours before being discovered. The welfare concern is compounded by the scale — millions of piglets die from crushing annually across global pig production. Farrowing crate systems restrict sow movement to reduce crushing risk, but at the cost of severe sow welfare restriction. Loose farrowing systems that allow natural nesting behaviour can achieve comparable piglet survival rates with careful design and management. The welfare challenge is to protect piglets without imprisoning sows.