The design of farrowing systems involves trade-offs between sow welfare (freedom to move) and piglet welfare (protection from crushing), with different systems offering different compromises.
Farrowing crate welfare debates illustrate genuine trade-offs between the welfare of different individuals within the same production system. Sows in crates cannot turn around, groom themselves fully, or build a nest — all behaviors that matter for sow welfare. Eliminating crates and allowing sow movement increases crushing risk for piglets. The evidence increasingly suggests that well-designed free farrowing systems with good management can achieve acceptable piglet mortality while substantially improving sow welfare. The barrier to adoption is capital cost of housing redesign and management skill requirements, not biological impossibility.