Farrowing crates confine sows during birth and lactation, preventing natural movement and behaviour. A range of alternative systems are being developed and adopted, each with distinct welfare trade-offs.
Farrowing system welfare involves trade-offs between sow welfare and piglet survival that require careful evidence-based evaluation. Conventional farrowing crates severely restrict sow behaviour at a critical period — the motivation to nest-build before farrowing is one of the strongest in pig ethology, and its complete prevention causes measurable frustration and stress. Crated sows cannot respond to piglet distress vocalisations, position themselves to optimise piglet warmth, or express the full range of maternal behaviours. Well-designed free-farrowing pens that incorporate nest areas, appropriate substrates, and refuge zones for piglets can achieve crush mortality rates comparable to crate systems while dramatically improving sow welfare. The transition to free-farrowing requires stockmanship investment — experienced observation and intervention capacity is essential in the first days after birth. Systems that allow voluntary short-term confinement (such as Freedom Farrowing) offer a welfare-positive transition while producers develop the skills for full free-farrowing.