Pig Sow Welfare in Modern Farming

Sow welfare is a central concern in pig farming, with gestation housing, farrowing systems, and stockpersonship profoundly affecting the lives of female breeding pigs.

Key Facts

Sows in conventional systems may be confined in gestation stalls for 16 weeks per pregnancy.
Gestation stalls prevent all natural movement and social behaviour, causing chronic stress.
The EU banned gestation stalls beyond 4 weeks of pregnancy in 2013, but enforcement varies.
Group housing sow systems can improve welfare but require careful management to reduce aggression.
Farrowing crates restrict the sow's movement to prevent piglet crushing but cause significant distress.

Welfare Considerations

Sows are highly intelligent social animals with complex behavioural needs. Confinement systems deny them the ability to forage, nest, socialise, and move freely, causing frustration, repetitive behaviours, and musculoskeletal problems. Welfare-focused systems providing group gestation housing, loose farrowing systems with adequate space and nesting material, and higher stockperson-to-pig ratios significantly improve sow quality of life. Consumer demand for higher-welfare pork is a key driver of system change.

What You Can Do

Choose pork certified to higher welfare standards such as RSPCA Assured or Soil Association.
Reduce overall pork consumption and shift to higher-welfare products when purchasing.
Support campaigns advocating for bans on gestation stalls and improved farrowing standards.
Ask supermarkets and restaurants about their sow welfare sourcing commitments.
Support organisations working to transition pig farming toward group and free-farrowing systems.