Legality
Farrowing crates are entirely legal, to my knowledge. They are definitely legal in the United States.
What is it?
Farrow -
1.) a litter of pigs
2.) an act of giving birth to a litter of pigs.
Sow -
1.) an adult female pig, esp. one that has farrowed.
A farrowing crate (see below image) is a tool used to house a mother pig with her young piglets. It is primarily designed to allow the piglets to separate themselves from the sow in order to avoid being crushed. Additional features may include: separate heat fixtures that warm the piglets while allowing the sow to keep cool; flooring designed to keep the pigs dry to prevent spread of disease; access to allow a human being to assist with the farrowing (birthing) process; feeding mechanisms that prevent the sow from eliminating in her food and water; a clipboard for medical information and identification. The sow is placed in the farrowing crate approximately one week prior to farrowing. The sow is then kept in the crate until she is finished lactating and the piglets are weaned. Though piglets can be weaned at as early as ten days or as late as eight weeks old, it's better for them to be weaned between three to four weeks of age. This means the sow spends approximately one month in the farrowing crate. It is also recommended to exercise the sow during lactation either once or twice a day, out of the farrowing crate.
Farrowing crates are entirely legal, to my knowledge. They are definitely legal in the United States.
What is it?
Farrow -
1.) a litter of pigs
2.) an act of giving birth to a litter of pigs.
Sow -
1.) an adult female pig, esp. one that has farrowed.
A farrowing crate (see below image) is a tool used to house a mother pig with her young piglets. It is primarily designed to allow the piglets to separate themselves from the sow in order to avoid being crushed. Additional features may include: separate heat fixtures that warm the piglets while allowing the sow to keep cool; flooring designed to keep the pigs dry to prevent spread of disease; access to allow a human being to assist with the farrowing (birthing) process; feeding mechanisms that prevent the sow from eliminating in her food and water; a clipboard for medical information and identification. The sow is placed in the farrowing crate approximately one week prior to farrowing. The sow is then kept in the crate until she is finished lactating and the piglets are weaned. Though piglets can be weaned at as early as ten days or as late as eight weeks old, it's better for them to be weaned between three to four weeks of age. This means the sow spends approximately one month in the farrowing crate. It is also recommended to exercise the sow during lactation either once or twice a day, out of the farrowing crate.
Crushing
Adult female pigs weigh 350 to 400 pounds. Due to their size and lack of quick reflexes and/or motor control, it's not uncommon for mother sows to lay down or step on their piglets who are too small in comparison to survive the weight and pressure. This is the number one cause of death in young piglets and the reason the farrowing crate was invented. It is designed to prevent the sow from turning around and constricts movement to reduce the risk of killing the piglets. The piglets also have space to go just outside of their mother's reach where they play and rest safely.
What is it NOT?
Sow Stall or Gestation Crate - a metal enclosure used in intensive pig farming, in which a female breeding pig may be kept during pregnancy
Do not confuse this with a farrowing crate. The farrowing crate is not for the entire pregnancy, it is during farrowing and lactation only. The gestation crate or sow stall is meant for housing throughout the pregnancy and is a separate issue. In this article, focus will be on the farrowing crate only.
But Wild Pigs Farrow Naturally...
A feral, adult female hog weighs around 175 pounds (less than half the weight of a domestic sow). The natural behavior of a sow 48 hours prior to farrowing is to leave their social group and search an area of about one to four square miles for a nest site. Then she would build the nest in time for the arrival of the piglets. She would stay with the piglets in isolation for two to four weeks before re-joining the social group (see image below).
A farrowing crate is not needed for feral pigs because they do not crush their piglets in large numbers. Domestic pigs are much larger and have been well known to crush piglets regularly without the aid of a farrowing crate.
Adult female pigs weigh 350 to 400 pounds. Due to their size and lack of quick reflexes and/or motor control, it's not uncommon for mother sows to lay down or step on their piglets who are too small in comparison to survive the weight and pressure. This is the number one cause of death in young piglets and the reason the farrowing crate was invented. It is designed to prevent the sow from turning around and constricts movement to reduce the risk of killing the piglets. The piglets also have space to go just outside of their mother's reach where they play and rest safely.
What is it NOT?
Sow Stall or Gestation Crate - a metal enclosure used in intensive pig farming, in which a female breeding pig may be kept during pregnancy
Do not confuse this with a farrowing crate. The farrowing crate is not for the entire pregnancy, it is during farrowing and lactation only. The gestation crate or sow stall is meant for housing throughout the pregnancy and is a separate issue. In this article, focus will be on the farrowing crate only.
But Wild Pigs Farrow Naturally...
A feral, adult female hog weighs around 175 pounds (less than half the weight of a domestic sow). The natural behavior of a sow 48 hours prior to farrowing is to leave their social group and search an area of about one to four square miles for a nest site. Then she would build the nest in time for the arrival of the piglets. She would stay with the piglets in isolation for two to four weeks before re-joining the social group (see image below).
A farrowing crate is not needed for feral pigs because they do not crush their piglets in large numbers. Domestic pigs are much larger and have been well known to crush piglets regularly without the aid of a farrowing crate.
Psychological and Physical Pain
According to one study (reference the sources page), sows that farrow in crates have demonstrated signs of elevated stress. They exhibit fewer natural maternal behaviors, and more stress behaviors than sows that farrow in more spacious pens. Behaviors that indicate stress include fighting the environment by biting or beating the head or body against the crate, repeated chewing on straw without swallowing, bar biting, or pressing of the snout against a surface. In this same study, the heart rate was also monitored while farrowing because the heart rate can be an indicator of stress. There was little to no difference in the heart rates of animals in crate and pen systems. Also, some physical tolls on the body by the use of farrowing crates can include muscle weakness, joint problems, and in some cases damaged mobility.
Alternatives
There is a specific niche market for consumers who oppose the use of farrowing crates which includes many alternative farrowing systems. Some alternative systems could include the use of partial confinement or no confinement systems. These systems could use any type of outdoor farrowing hut to house the sow and her piglets, from home-made to commercial brand. The farrowing ark is a very popular type of hut, described below, and other huts are very similar.
Farrowing Ark
A functioning farrowing ark must meet very specific dimensions in order to give the sow space and warmth. Some include rails as an additional feature to protect against piglet crushing, but not all do. There are different designs with more or less features available at varying costs. One or more farrowing arks may be kept in the same pasture, depending on the space available.
According to one study (reference the sources page), sows that farrow in crates have demonstrated signs of elevated stress. They exhibit fewer natural maternal behaviors, and more stress behaviors than sows that farrow in more spacious pens. Behaviors that indicate stress include fighting the environment by biting or beating the head or body against the crate, repeated chewing on straw without swallowing, bar biting, or pressing of the snout against a surface. In this same study, the heart rate was also monitored while farrowing because the heart rate can be an indicator of stress. There was little to no difference in the heart rates of animals in crate and pen systems. Also, some physical tolls on the body by the use of farrowing crates can include muscle weakness, joint problems, and in some cases damaged mobility.
Alternatives
There is a specific niche market for consumers who oppose the use of farrowing crates which includes many alternative farrowing systems. Some alternative systems could include the use of partial confinement or no confinement systems. These systems could use any type of outdoor farrowing hut to house the sow and her piglets, from home-made to commercial brand. The farrowing ark is a very popular type of hut, described below, and other huts are very similar.
Farrowing Ark
A functioning farrowing ark must meet very specific dimensions in order to give the sow space and warmth. Some include rails as an additional feature to protect against piglet crushing, but not all do. There are different designs with more or less features available at varying costs. One or more farrowing arks may be kept in the same pasture, depending on the space available.
The benefits of this type of housing include not only space, but also freedom for the sow to perform natural nesting and rooting behaviors while farrowing and lactating. The disadvantages are caused by fewer safety mechanisms to prevent the piglets from being crushed. The piglets and the sow have different temperature requirements, met by a heat lamp in a farrowing crate away from the sow but in the piglets' reach. In a farrowing ark, there is no heated area for the piglets to keep warm. Also, while farrowing crates usually have feed troughs built in, the farrowing ark does not.
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Statistics
-Average mortality rate in newborn piglets (excluding stillborn deaths) is approximately 9.4% in the United States
-For perspective, the human infant mortality rate (excluding stillborn deaths) is 0.61% in the US, 0.72% in RI
-Of the above piglet mortality rate, deaths attributed to crushing make up 48.7% followed by starvation at 20.5%
-50% of crushing incidents occur during the first 3 days of the piglets' lives
-Without farrowing crates, the risk of mortality during these 3 days is 10-25%
-In the United Kingdom, research concluded a 95% survival rate in piglets raised in farrowing crates
-85% of sows in the US are housed in a farrowing crate during the farrowing process
-Wild sows are inactive 90-95% of the first 48 hours after giving birth
-Including stillborn deaths, the mortality rate of piglets in an "average" indoor crate system is 19%, while in a "well-managed" outdoor system the rate is 16%. I have a strong feeling these numbers may have been skewed by the use of those words, be cautious with statistics like these. Comparing average with well-managed is not a fair comparison.
My Personal View
I am SUPPORTIVE of the use of farrowing crates. I see no reason to ban the use of farrowing crates, and several reasons to use them. I believe there is no right or wrong answer to this issue. With a farrowing crate, you risk stressing the sow and causing her a bit of soreness from staying in limited positions. Without a farrowing crate, you risk crushing more piglets to death. If I had to choose between the lesser of these two evils, I would choose to stress the sow in order to protect the piglets' lives. However, I have equal respect for those who would prefer to keep the sow comfortable. Yes, farrowing crates can be misused very cruelly. So can farrowing arks. The tool itself does not necessitate torture. Instead of putting efforts into preventing the use of these crates, I think effort would be better spent preventing their mis-use. As well as researching to find a better alternative that suits the welfare of both the sow and her piglets.
-Average mortality rate in newborn piglets (excluding stillborn deaths) is approximately 9.4% in the United States
-For perspective, the human infant mortality rate (excluding stillborn deaths) is 0.61% in the US, 0.72% in RI
-Of the above piglet mortality rate, deaths attributed to crushing make up 48.7% followed by starvation at 20.5%
-50% of crushing incidents occur during the first 3 days of the piglets' lives
-Without farrowing crates, the risk of mortality during these 3 days is 10-25%
-In the United Kingdom, research concluded a 95% survival rate in piglets raised in farrowing crates
-85% of sows in the US are housed in a farrowing crate during the farrowing process
-Wild sows are inactive 90-95% of the first 48 hours after giving birth
-Including stillborn deaths, the mortality rate of piglets in an "average" indoor crate system is 19%, while in a "well-managed" outdoor system the rate is 16%. I have a strong feeling these numbers may have been skewed by the use of those words, be cautious with statistics like these. Comparing average with well-managed is not a fair comparison.
My Personal View
I am SUPPORTIVE of the use of farrowing crates. I see no reason to ban the use of farrowing crates, and several reasons to use them. I believe there is no right or wrong answer to this issue. With a farrowing crate, you risk stressing the sow and causing her a bit of soreness from staying in limited positions. Without a farrowing crate, you risk crushing more piglets to death. If I had to choose between the lesser of these two evils, I would choose to stress the sow in order to protect the piglets' lives. However, I have equal respect for those who would prefer to keep the sow comfortable. Yes, farrowing crates can be misused very cruelly. So can farrowing arks. The tool itself does not necessitate torture. Instead of putting efforts into preventing the use of these crates, I think effort would be better spent preventing their mis-use. As well as researching to find a better alternative that suits the welfare of both the sow and her piglets.
17th of February, 2014
Updated 25th of March, 2014
Updated 25th of March, 2014