Farrowing crates confine sows during and after birth to protect piglets from crushing. The practice is one of the most contested in pig welfare, with reform pathways emerging across Europe.
The farrowing crate debate encapsulates a genuine welfare trade-off: the immobilisation of the sow prevents her from crushing her piglets, reducing a source of high mortality. However, this comes at significant welfare cost to the sow — she cannot nest build, turn, or express normal maternal behaviour throughout a period of high motivational state. Research has consistently demonstrated that sows in farrowing crates show higher rates of frustration behaviours and have compromised ability to respond to piglet vocalisations. The alternative — well-designed free-farrowing systems with anti-crush features — has demonstrated that piglet survival need not be sacrificed for sow welfare. The barrier to reform is cost and management complexity, not technical impossibility. Several EU countries have demonstrated that the transition is achievable at scale.