Group housing systems for pregnant sows offer welfare improvements over crates but introduce new management challenges around aggression, competition, and resource access.
Group housing for sows represents a genuine welfare improvement over crates when managed appropriately, but introduces aggression-related welfare risks that require active management. The transition from crate to group housing cannot be achieved by simply removing the crates — it requires investment in space, feeding system design, and stockmanship training. Group housing with appropriate management produces measurably better welfare than crates across most welfare indicators; the transition is a welfare imperative.