Electronic sow feeding (ESF) systems enable group housing of gestating sows while managing individual feed allocation, representing a significant welfare improvement over individual gestation crates when properly managed.
ESF group housing is a genuine welfare improvement over gestation crates for sows, but the degree of welfare benefit depends heavily on management quality. The freedom to move, socialise, and engage in normal postural behaviour represents a fundamental welfare advance. However, ESF systems require active management of group composition, feeder-to-sow ratios, pen layout, and individual monitoring to ensure all sows are accessing adequate feed. Welfare assessment in ESF systems should include regular body condition scoring, lameness assessment, and skin lesion monitoring to identify sows who may be losing out in competition.