Farm Animal Welfare

Farmed Pig Sow Body Condition Welfare

Maintaining appropriate sow body condition through the reproductive cycle is essential for sow welfare, longevity, and the welfare of successive litters.

Key Facts

Over-conditioned sows develop farrowing difficulties and lameness that compromise welfare
Thin sows in late lactation cannot support piglet growth and are at higher disease risk
Body condition scoring at mating weaning and farrowing guides nutrition management
Optimal sow body condition score is 3.0 on a 1-5 scale at farrowing
Sow longevity correlates with body condition management - better-managed sows last more parities

Welfare Considerations

Sow body condition is both a welfare indicator and a welfare determinant. Sows in poor body condition experience metabolic stress, immune compromise, and reproductive failure. Sows that are over-conditioned face mobility problems and farrowing difficulty that causes prolonged birth and piglet mortality. The welfare investment in systematic body condition monitoring and nutritional management pays dividends in both sow welfare and piglet survival.

What You Can Do

Support farms that implement systematic sow body condition scoring
Advocate for sow body condition to be included in pig welfare audits
Engage with producers about nutritional management as a welfare investment
Support research into optimal sow nutrition for different housing systems
Choose pork from producers with documented sow welfare management standards