Farrowing crates confine sows during birth and nursing in the most welfare-compromising period of commercial pig production, and alternative systems are being developed and adopted in progressive markets.
The farrowing crate is the welfare controversy that has persisted longest in pig production. The welfare cost is clear — sows in farrowing crates cannot turn around, build a nest, or move freely during one of the most physically and behaviorally demanding periods of their lives. The welfare justification is real but overstated — piglet crushing does occur in free farrowing systems but at rates comparable to those in well-managed crate systems, and Sweden has demonstrated that crate-free production is commercially viable. Transitioning to free farrowing requires investment, training, and management changes that many producers have found daunting without support.