Pig Farrowing Crate Reform | Animal Welfare Hub

Farrowing crates confine breeding sows around birth, preventing them from turning around, in one of the most contested practices in modern pig farming.

Key Facts

Farrowing crates are used on the majority of commercial pig farms in the US and EU
Sows in farrowing crates cannot turn around, perform nesting behavior, or move freely
They were introduced to reduce piglet crushing deaths, which do increase in crate-free systems
Free-farrowing systems with well-designed pens have achieved comparable piglet survival rates
The EU has committed to phasing out sow confinement by 2030 under its Farm to Fork strategy

Welfare Considerations

Farrowing crates confine sows during one of the most behaviorally demanding periods of their lives — birth and nursing — preventing virtually all natural behavior including nesting, which sows are highly motivated to perform before parturition. The frustration of being unable to nest before birth is one of the clearest welfare failures in modern pig farming. Free-farrowing systems have been successfully developed in Europe and demonstrate that crushing losses can be managed through pen design rather than extreme confinement. The welfare case against farrowing crates is strong.

What You Can Do

Choose pork certified to standards prohibiting farrowing crate use
Support legislative campaigns for farrowing crate phase-out with adequate transition timelines
Learn about free-farrowing system designs and share evidence with farmers considering transition
Donate to organizations promoting free-farrowing system adoption in commercial pig farming