Farm Animal Welfare

Farmed Pig Welfare: Farrowing Crate Alternatives

Farrowing crates restrict sows during the critical birth and nursing period, with alternative systems being developed to balance sow welfare with piglet survival.

Key Facts

Conventional farrowing crates prevent sows from turning around for 4-6 weeks around farrowing
The restriction prevents natural nesting behaviour and causes significant welfare frustration
Piglet crushing mortality is higher in loose-housed farrowing systems without barrier protection
Temporary crating during high-risk periods (birth and first days) reduces crushing with less welfare cost
Countries including Germany and Switzerland have committed to phasing out farrowing crates

Welfare Considerations

The farrowing crate welfare debate involves real trade-offs between sow welfare (freedom to move and nest) and piglet welfare (survival risk from crushing). Alternative systems including PigSAFE, ComfortBalance and temporary confinement systems have been developed to navigate this trade-off. The evidence indicates that well-designed loose farrowing systems can achieve comparable piglet mortality with significantly improved sow welfare.

What You Can Do

Support farms trialling farrowing crate alternatives
Advocate for legislative reform to phase out permanent farrowing crate use
Learn about the welfare evidence for different farrowing system designs
Choose pork from farms with innovative farrowing welfare systems where label information allows