The farrowing crate confines sows during birth and lactation. Free farrowing alternatives offer better sow welfare while requiring innovative management to protect piglets.
The farrowing crate presents a welfare dilemma: it significantly reduces piglet crushing deaths while severely restricting sow freedom. Sows confined in farrowing crates cannot engage in pre-farrowing nesting behavior, cannot turn around for weeks, and experience chronic frustration and discomfort. Free farrowing systems resolve the sow welfare deficit but require thoughtful design and management to protect piglets. The evidence that well-managed free farrowing systems can achieve comparable piglet survival to crates supports the transition. The welfare calculus strongly favors free farrowing: reducing piglet mortality by small percentages does not justify weeks of sow confinement causing significant chronic suffering.