Farm Animal Welfare

Pig Sow Body Condition and Welfare

Sow body condition scoring throughout the production cycle is essential for preventing the welfare harms of both under-nutrition and obesity in breeding sows.

Key Facts

Sows that are too thin at farrowing produce less milk and have weaker piglets
Overfat sows have increased lambing difficulties and metabolic disease risk
Ideal BCS at farrowing is 3-3.5 on a 1-5 scale in most scoring systems
Individualised feeding in group housing systems prevents dominant sows monopolising feed
Body condition directly affects sow longevity and lifetime welfare outcomes

Welfare Considerations

Sow body condition management is a welfare priority that links nutrition to health outcomes at every stage of the reproductive cycle. Thin sows suffer from inadequate energy reserves, producing less milk and weaker piglets. Overfat sows face lambing difficulties and metabolic disease. Systematic BCS monitoring and individualised feeding protocols prevent both extremes.

What You Can Do

Support farms with regular sow BCS monitoring programmes
Advocate for body condition scoring as a welfare metric in pig audits
Choose pork from farms demonstrating active sow welfare management