Farrowing crates confine sows around birth to prevent piglet crushing - welfare science shows both the harms of confinement and the challenges of alternative systems.
Farrowing crate welfare involves a genuine trade-off between the welfare of the sow and the survival of her piglets. Sow confinement prevents nest-building, limits posture changes and causes frustration. However, free farrowing requires careful system design and intensive management to achieve acceptable piglet mortality. Research has developed free farrowing systems that substantially reduce both sow confinement welfare harms and piglet mortality - demonstrating that the trade-off, while real, is not absolute. The transition requires investment in new housing infrastructure and stockperson training. The welfare case for transition is strong given the high motivation of sows to perform nesting and the documented distress from confinement.