Pig Farrowing Nest Behavior | Animal Welfare Hub

Sows have a strong motivation to build nests before farrowing that is frustrated in most commercial housing systems, causing significant welfare compromise.

Key Facts

Sows spend 12-24 hours engaged in nest building behavior before farrowing in natural conditions
The nest-building drive is so strong that sows perform vacuum nest building even without materials
Frustrated nest building is associated with increased stereotypic behavior and worse farrowing outcomes
Providing straw for nest building reduces farrowing duration and stillbirths

Welfare Considerations

The nest-building motivation in pre-farrowing sows is one of the strongest behavioral drives in any farm animal. Frustrating this drive by providing no materials causes significant psychological suffering. Even modest straw provision that allows limited nest-building significantly reduces the behavioral frustration of this powerful motivation. The behavioral, welfare, and production benefits of straw provision around farrowing make it one of the most welfare-positive and cost-effective interventions in pig production.

What You Can Do

Support pig welfare standards requiring straw provision around farrowing
Advocate for nest-building material as a minimum welfare requirement for farrowing sows
Choose pork from certified farms providing farrowing straw
Support research into optimal nest-building material provision for sow welfare