Sow Longevity and Reproductive Welfare

How improving sow longevity through better reproductive management benefits welfare and sustainability.

Key Facts

Average sow lifetime in commercial systems is often less than 3 years before culling
Early culling reduces welfare opportunity and represents both biological waste and welfare failure
Lameness, reproductive failure, and poor body condition are leading culling reasons in commercial sow herds
Sows that reach later parities show improved welfare outcomes from accumulated experience and stability
Body condition management throughout the reproductive cycle significantly affects sow longevity
Extended productive lifetimes are economically beneficial as well as welfare-positive

Welfare Considerations

Sow longevity is a welfare indicator that is often overlooked in favour of productivity metrics. Sows culled after only two or three parities have not had the opportunity to express their full range of natural behaviors and social relationships. High culling rates also indicate chronic welfare problems — lameness, infection, and metabolic disease — that are often preventable through better housing, nutrition, and management. Farms that achieve higher average parity at culling tend to have better overall welfare outcomes, reflecting a management approach that protects animal health throughout life rather than maximizing short-term output.

What You Can Do

Support pork producers that publish average sow lifetime or parity at culling as a welfare indicator
Advocate for welfare certification schemes that include sow longevity as a key performance metric
Encourage veterinary herd health programmes focused on lameness prevention and body condition management
Support research into housing and management factors that extend sow productive lifetime
Raise awareness that high sow culling rates often reflect systemic welfare problems rather than normal attrition