Farrowing crates were designed to prevent the sow from crushing her piglets. However, we now know the negative consequences of restricting the movement of the sow. In Europe, free lactation pen systems are becoming more common. These allow the sow to remain restricted during high-risk stages during farrowing and post-farrowing, but have freedom of movement outside of those times. More studies are showing that piglets born in this system are heavier at weaning, have better access to the udder, and fewer piglets miss milk let down. In the FarrMan project at Teagasc, piglets from the free lactation system were found to be significantly heavier at weaning, reached slaughter weight earlier, and had fewer instances of damaging behaviour, such as ear and tail biting. While many different examples of alternative farrowing systems exist and more research needs to be carried out, it is clear that there are many benefits to pigs as well as for sow welfare.
The use of optimal enrichment has been documented to have positive effects on pigs. Again, with Teagasc, the ENTAIL project found that a high rate of post-weaning enrichment replenishment reduced the occurrence of damaging behaviors and improved growth rates in the finisher stage. Ineffective or insufficient enrichment can lead to damaging behavior. So, when choosing a form of enrichment, it is important to ensure that it is accessible to pigs at all times and meets the criteria to be classified as optimal enrichment.
While pig welfare is a very broad area of expertise, there are countless examples of how investing in the welfare of your pigs has benefits not only for their own welfare but for their growth and performance, and ultimately, your annual profit!
