Farrowing crates confine sows during birth and nursing to protect piglets but severely restrict sow movement. Reform efforts seek to protect both sow welfare and piglet survival.
Farrowing crates represent a genuine welfare dilemma: they protect piglets at significant cost to sow welfare. The confinement prevents the nesting behaviour that sows are highly motivated to perform — the distress of a sow unable to nest before birth is measurable through elevated cortisol and intense stereotypic bar-biting. The inability to turn around for weeks is a fundamental restriction of normal behaviour. However, the welfare cost of piglet crushing in some free farrowing systems is real. The welfare-optimal solution is well-designed free farrowing systems with appropriate training and management — not continued indefinite use of crates as the only perceived option.