Understanding free farrowing systems — housing designs that allow sow movement while managing piglet crushing risk — and the evidence that these systems improve welfare without sacrificing production viability.
Free farrowing represents one of the clearest opportunities for large-scale pig welfare improvement currently available. The farrowing crate — in which sows are confined to a space so small they cannot turn around for weeks around farrowing — causes significant welfare harm through severe movement restriction during one of the most behaviorally motivated periods of a pig's life. The evidence that free farrowing systems can achieve comparable or better welfare outcomes for both sow and piglets, with manageable adaptation costs, means the remaining barrier to transition is economic and regulatory rather than technical. Consumer demand for crate-free pork products and corporate supply chain commitments can drive this transition faster than regulation alone.