Farrowing crates confine sows for weeks during and after birth, preventing natural behavior — while welfare science and commercial alternatives are building the case for reform.
Farrowing crate welfare harms are well-established. Sows have a strong instinctive drive to build nests before farrowing — a motivation so powerful it cannot be suppressed in crate systems, resulting in repeated futile rooting on bare floors. The inability to turn around for weeks causes physical discomfort and psychological frustration. Crate confinement prevents sows from responding to piglet distress calls through physical movement, disrupting the mother-offspring bond. The welfare cost of preventing crushing must be weighed against these clear harms and against the performance of commercial free-farrowing alternatives. Recent system designs substantially reduce crushing rates in free-farrowing environments, weakening the primary justification for continued crate use.