Moving sows from individual stalls to group housing improves long-term welfare but introduces short-term risks from aggression during integration. Best practices minimize harm during the transition.
Group housing transition represents a genuine welfare challenge: individual stalls cause chronic welfare harm from restricted movement and inability to express natural behaviors, yet the mixing process that group housing requires causes acute welfare harm from aggression. Best practice protocols minimize transition aggression through thoughtful management. Key strategies include: mixing sows at weaning rather than during pregnancy; using electronic sow feeding (ESF) systems that remove competition for food; providing adequate floor space with separate lying, feeding, and activity areas; using dim lighting during initial mixing to reduce visual stimulation; and ensuring all sows are of similar social rank before mixing. Post-mixing monitoring for injuries, body condition loss, and access to feeding stations is essential. With well-designed facilities and skilled stockpersons, group housing reliably delivers better long-term welfare outcomes than individual stalls.