Farrowing crates restrict sow movement during and after birth, preventing crushing of piglets but causing significant welfare harms to the sow. Reform is one of the most contested issues in pig welfare.
The ethical tension in farrowing crate reform is real: crates do reduce piglet crushing (a welfare harm), but confining sows for weeks at a time prevents natural behavior and causes frustration, lameness from restricted movement, and chronic psychological stress. Research shows that well-designed alternative systems can achieve acceptable piglet survival. The welfare math favors reform: a sow may farrow 5-7 times in her lifetime, spending months in crates. The suffering of millions of sows across millions of farrowing events represents an enormous cumulative welfare cost.