The farrowing crate is used to prevent sow crushing of piglets but severely restricts sow movement, with alternatives now demonstrating that both sow welfare and piglet survival can be improved.
The farrowing crate represents a genuine welfare dilemma: it restricts sow welfare significantly but was introduced to reduce piglet mortality, which also has welfare significance. The development of well-designed free farrowing systems that maintain piglet survival while allowing sow movement has removed the justification for continued universal crate use. Sows in farrowing crates cannot perform nest-building, a strongly motivated behaviour whose frustration causes measurable stress. Free farrowing systems that allow sow movement while protecting piglets from crushing demonstrate that this welfare compromise is not necessary and that both outcomes can be achieved together.