The farrowing crate prevents sow movement to protect piglets from crushing, but causes significant confinement distress. Welfare-friendly alternatives are available but require careful management.
The farrowing crate debate encapsulates the core difficulty of farm animal welfare: trading one welfare harm against another. The crate prevents piglet crushing at the cost of severe confinement distress for the sow. Sows in crates cannot turn around, perform nest-building, or express maternal behaviour - they show stereotypies, heightened aggression and elevated stress hormones throughout confinement. Loose farrowing systems with good pen design (sloped walls, heated creep areas) achieve comparable piglet survival rates while dramatically improving sow welfare. The industry argument that crates are necessary is undermined by commercial systems already operating without them.