Farrowing crates prevent sow movement during and after birth, causing significant welfare harm while serving a piglet mortality reduction function.
The farrowing crate debate encapsulates the welfare tradeoffs inherent in modern pig production. Sow welfare and piglet welfare are in direct tension — the conditions that best serve sows' behavioral needs increase piglet crushing risk, while the conditions that minimize crushing impose severe behavioral restriction on sows. The resolution is not to choose one welfare over the other but to invest in systems and management practices that reduce this conflict. Well-designed free-farrowing systems with appropriate nest-building materials, protective structures, and trained stockpeople demonstrate that both welfare interests can be substantially served simultaneously. The political will to transition away from permanent crate use reflects growing recognition that sow welfare cannot be indefinitely sacrificed.