Sow welfare across the reproductive cycle involves multiple interconnected welfare challenges. Understanding the full cycle of welfare impacts informs more effective advocacy for systemic improvement.
Sow welfare in commercial production is affected by every phase of the reproductive cycle. Gestation crates during pregnancy restrict movement and prevent natural behavior. Farrowing crates during lactation confine sows that are simultaneously producing milk and caring for piglets. The brief inter-estrus recovery period is often insufficient for full body condition restoration before the next pregnancy. Accumulated physical stress across multiple reproductive cycles contributes to the lameness, prolapse, and other conditions that cause early culling. A welfare-focused approach to sow production addresses each phase of the cycle rather than optimizing only for reproductive output.