Farrowing crates confine sows for weeks during and after birth, preventing crushing of piglets but restricting the sow's movement and natural behaviour, driving ongoing welfare debate and reform.
Farrowing crate welfare involves a genuine but resolvable tension between sow and piglet welfare. The crate was designed to address real piglet crushing mortality. However, the welfare cost to the sow is significant: weeks of complete movement restriction, inability to perform the highly motivated nesting behaviour before birth, and restriction of maternal interaction with piglets. Research in countries that have banned crates demonstrates that well-designed freedom farrowing systems achieve comparable piglet survival with substantially improved sow welfare. The welfare argument for transition has been accepted by scientific consensus - the delay in the UK is commercial and political rather than scientific. Consumer pressure and retailer commitments to crate-free pork are accelerating transition faster than regulation.