Outdoor farrowing systems for pigs offer significant welfare advantages over indoor crates but require careful management of climate, predation, and disease risks.
Outdoor farrowing systems demonstrate that significant welfare improvements are achievable without abandoning commercial pig production. The ability to nest-build before farrowing - using available bedding material to create a protected space for birth - is a strongly motivated behavior that indoor crate systems deny completely. The period of isolation with piglets in the farrowing hut allows the mother-piglet bond to develop naturally. Sow freedom from physical confinement means injuries and lameness from crate hardware are avoided. The welfare cost of outdoor systems falls primarily on piglets in severe weather - robust management and hut design can mitigate but not eliminate this risk.