Confinement free farrowing and lactation systems

Farrowing crates can improve the welfare of neonatal pigs by providing warmth and reducing the risk of piglets becoming cold, dying from starvation, or being overlain by the sow.

However, these crates restrict the ability of the sow to move around and perform pre-farrowing behaviours such as nest-site selection and nest building activity. They are also viewed in a negative light by the public.

A confinement-free farrowing pen needs to be designed to meet the needs of both the sows and piglets while remaining commercially viable.

Value for producers:

• The implementation of new confinement-free farrowing systems resulted in comparable performance to sows and piglets housed in current farrowing crates, while allowing sows to perform maternal behaviours.
• The implementation of confinement free farrowing systems could encourage improved public perception of pig farming.

Recommendations:

• Piglet survival was not improved in the PigSAFE system, with a trend toward higher mortality due to piglets being overlain by the sow.
• Piglet survival will need to improve to increase the commercial viability of the PigSAFE system, and allow for the recuperation of higher construction costs.
• The two-stage system (moving sows into group lactation housing) had a similar number of piglets weaned, and overall (farrowing and lactation) piglet mortality when compared to current Australian farrowing systems.
• Piglet growth rate and weaning weight were reduced in the two-stage system which may be due to cross suckling, increased socialisation and activity, and lower feed intake of sows placed in group housing after 14 days.