Outdoor farrowing systems can provide significant welfare benefits for sows compared to confinement stalls, but require careful design and management to succeed.
Conventional farrowing crates cause severe welfare harm to sows by completely preventing natural behaviours including movement, nesting, and maternal expression. The deprivation is prolonged and the sow experiences chronic frustration of strong instincts. Outdoor farrowing allows sows to express natural behaviour but requires skilled stockpersonship to manage piglet mortality risks. The welfare tradeoffs involved in different farrowing systems are genuine and complex, but the absolute prohibition of natural behaviour in crates represents an ethical line that progressive systems must move beyond.