Farmed Pig Farrowing Crates: Reform and Alternatives

Farrowing crates confine sows during birth and lactation in spaces too small to turn around, causing severe welfare deprivation while the industry resists widely available alternatives.

Key Facts

A farrowing crate typically measures 0.6 x 2.0 meters — too small for a sow to turn around
Sows spend 4-5 weeks per reproductive cycle in farrowing crates, in addition to time in gestation stalls
Research shows sows in farrowing crates show higher rates of frustration-related behaviors than in alternatives
Loose-housed farrowing systems with nest-building material are commercially viable in multiple countries
The UK has banned sow stalls but farrowing crates remain legal; Sweden and Switzerland have stricter standards

Welfare Considerations

Farrowing crates represent one of the most contested welfare issues in pig farming. The industry justification — preventing piglet crushing — is real but overstated, as research shows well-designed loose housing systems achieve comparable piglet survival with dramatically better sow welfare. Sows in crates cannot perform the nesting behavior that is a strong pre-farrowing drive, cannot move freely, and experience extreme frustration during a physiologically intense reproductive period. Viable alternatives exist and are in commercial use — the barrier to adoption is primarily economic and inertial rather than practical.

What You Can Do

Choose pork from producers using loose farrowing systems rather than farrowing crates
Support campaigns for farrowing crate bans in your jurisdiction
Contact major food retailers and restaurants about their farrowing crate policies
Reduce pork consumption or shift entirely to plant-based alternatives