Farrowing crates restrict sow movement during the period around birth and early piglet life, creating an ongoing welfare debate between sow welfare and piglet safety.
The farrowing crate debate is one of the most difficult in farm animal welfare because it involves genuine competing welfare interests. Sows confined in farrowing crates cannot turn around, root, or engage in nesting behavior - all strong behavioral motivations that are denied. This causes frustration and stereotypic behavior indicating suffering. However, free farrowing systems without careful design and management result in higher piglet crushing mortality. The welfare solution lies not in accepting crates as inevitable but in developing and adopting alternative farrowing systems that protect piglets through design rather than sow confinement.