The conventional farrowing crate prevents the sow from moving for 4-6 weeks after birth. Alternatives including free-farrowing pens and loose-housing systems are demonstrating comparable piglet survival with better sow welfare.
The farrowing crate represents one of the clearest conflicts between production efficiency and animal welfare. The sow in a farrowing crate cannot turn around, cannot fully express the nest-building behavior that is a powerful instinct before birth, and cannot interact normally with her piglets during the critical weeks of lactation. These are not trivial deprivations but fundamental behavioral frustrations that produce measurable stress, stereotypic behavior, and likely psychological suffering. The welfare case for transitioning to free-farrowing systems is strong and the production case is increasingly viable as system design improves. The transition timelines in EU legislation are slow, but the direction of travel is clear: confinement farrowing will become illegal across Europe.