Farrowing house design profoundly affects both sow welfare and piglet survival. Evidence-based design can simultaneously improve welfare outcomes for mother and offspring.
Traditional farrowing crates severely restrict sow movement for 3-6 weeks, causing frustration and preventing expression of nesting behaviour. The welfare trade-off between sow freedom and piglet crushing risk is genuine but not irresolvable - well-designed loose farrowing systems achieve comparable piglet mortality to crates while significantly improving sow welfare. Investment in improved farrowing housing design is a direct investment in sow quality of life.