{"id":3547,"date":"2026-10-08T10:37:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T02:37:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dragobarzini.com\/blog\/?p=3547"},"modified":"2026-10-08T10:37:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T02:37:23","slug":"how-do-farrowing-crates-impact-the-sow-s-mental-well-being-484f-3a326e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.dragobarzini.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/08\/how-do-farrowing-crates-impact-the-sow-s-mental-well-being-484f-3a326e\/","title":{"rendered":"How do farrowing crates impact the sow’s mental well – being?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey there, Farrowing Crate<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s cut to the chase. If you\u2019ve spent any time in the swine industry lately (or even just scrolling through ag tech forums), you\u2019ve definitely seen the debate about farrowing crates. You\u2019ve probably heard the takes: they\u2019re cruel, they save piglet lives, they\u2019re a necessary evil, or they\u2019re on their way out. And since I\u2019m here\u2014yep, I run a small operation that supplies these crates\u2014people often come at me like I\u2019m either a villain or totally clueless. Today, I want to talk about the thing that matters most to every producer I know, and every sow we work with: their mental well-being. Because let\u2019s be real, a sow that\u2019s stressed isn\u2019t a profitable sow\u2014and stress starts in her head, not just her body.<\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s get one thing straight: I\u2019m not here to sell you a one-size-fits-all \u201cthis is perfect\u201d pitch. I\u2019ve been supplying crates for 12 years, and I\u2019ve visited more hog barns in the Midwest and South than I can count. I\u2019ve sat in on late-night barn checks with producers who are up at 2 a.m. because a sow is acting weird, and I\u2019ve talked to vets who\u2019ve monitored the same sows for years. Mental health in sows isn\u2019t some trendy, overhyped topic\u2014it\u2019s data, and it\u2019s something we see every single day.<\/p>\n

So what even counts as a sow\u2019s mental well-being? For humans, we talk about anxiety, boredom, frustration\u2014stuff we can\u2019t always see. For sows, it\u2019s similar, but we measure it by behaviors that are actually observable (thankfully, no need for a psychologist\u2019s couch\u2026 yet). Things like repetitive pacing, bar-biting, self-chewing, not eating when they should, or even just shutting down and ignoring their piglets when they should be nursing. That\u2019s not just \u201cbeing a sow\u201d\u2014that\u2019s distress. And the farrowing crate plays a huge role here, for better and worse.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the obvious downside. When a sow is in a crate for weeks (usually 3-5 weeks, depending on the operation), she\u2019s confined to a space barely bigger than her body. She can\u2019t turn around, can\u2019t stretch, can\u2019t even really lay down comfortably without pressing her side against the hard plastic or metal sides. Now, think about being locked in a bathroom stall for a month with no room to stand up, walk, or adjust your position. Yeah, that sucks. Studies\u2014real ones, not the internet hot takes\u2014show that sows in crates have way higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, than sows kept in group housing. Cortisol does weird stuff to animals: it suppresses their immune system, makes them more likely to lash out, and yes, it cranks up those repetitive behaviors I mentioned earlier. I\u2019ve seen sows stand in the same spot for hours, just chewing on the crate bars like they\u2019re trying to escape. That\u2019s not a quirk\u2014that\u2019s chronic boredom and frustration. Producers hate it too, because bar-biting wears down crate hardware faster, and a sow that\u2019s stressed is more likely to have a hard time delivering her litter or reject piglets. The last thing I want is for my crates to be the reason a producer has extra piglet mortality or a sow that\u2019s off her feed.<\/p>\n

But wait\u2014let\u2019s not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. The farrowing crate wasn\u2019t invented to torture sows. It was invented to save piglets. Before crates, sows would bed down in straw or deep pens, and new piglets would get crushed when the sow rolled over\u2014something like 15-20% pre-weaning mortality back in the day. Now, that number\u2019s down to 8-12% on average, and a huge part of that is crates that let you lock the sow in a way she can\u2019t fully roll, but still has space to lay down and nurse. Here\u2019s the thing: when you use a crate right, with proper enrichment and management, you can cut down on a lot of that mental distress I talked about. Let\u2019s be real\u2014group housing farrowing systems are gaining traction, but they\u2019re not perfect yet. A lot of operations that switched to group pens are seeing higher piglet mortality because sows can crowd piglets into corners or fight with each other, and there\u2019s no way to separate a sow quickly if she needs to. I\u2019ve had producers call me panicking because they tried a group pen setup and lost a whole litter to crushing. So it\u2019s not that crates are \u201cgood\u201d\u2014it\u2019s that they\u2019re a tool, and how you use them makes all the difference for the sow\u2019s mental state.<\/p>\n

Now, here\u2019s something most critics don\u2019t talk about: we\u2019ve come a long way from the 1980s \u201cjail cell\u201d crates. The crates I supply (I\u2019m not naming the brand, like I said before) have added features that actually help the sow\u2019s mental well-being. First, they have adjustable side panels\u2014so when a sow is a few days away from farrowing, you can open up the space a little so she can turn around a bit more. That\u2019s a game-changer. Second, they have built-in enrichment stations. Wait, enrichment for sows? Yeah\u2014stuff like a small trough that dispenses treats when she nudges it, or a rubber toy she can root at. Sows are naturally curious, foraging animals\u2014they spend 70% of their day rooting in the wild. If you give them nothing but concrete to stand on, that\u2019s a recipe for boredom. I\u2019ve had a producer tell me that adding a small rooting mat to my crates cut down bar-biting by like 40% in his herd. That\u2019s not making stuff up\u2014that\u2019s data. Third, there\u2019s the way you handle the sow. If you\u2019re moving her into the crate calmly, not shoving her, not making loud noises, she\u2019s way less stressed. I train all my crate buyers on this\u2014small things, like approaching her from the side instead of front-on, which makes her feel less threatened, go a long way. Stressed sows are angry sows, and angry sows don\u2019t do well mentally or for business.<\/p>\n

Another big point: timing. I can\u2019t tell you how many producers I see that leave sows in crates for 6 weeks or more, way longer than necessary. A sow\u2019s mental state when it\u2019s time to wean is tied directly to how long she\u2019s been confined. If she\u2019s in a crate for 3 weeks, she\u2019s restless, but 5 weeks? She\u2019s just plain miserable. That\u2019s why I work with every customer to figure out the shortest possible crate time for their operation\u2014usually 21-28 days, depending on litter size and sow health. Less time in a tight space = less stress = better mental state.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s be honest, there\u2019s still a gap here. Even with the best crate features, the mental well-being of a sow in a crate isn\u2019t perfect. The reality is, sows are intelligent, social animals, and being confined alone for weeks on end goes against a lot of their natural behaviors. That\u2019s why I\u2019m not just selling crates\u2014 I\u2019m also pushing my customers to look at small, low-cost alternatives to make the crate environment better. Like, adding a small window in the barn wall so the sow can see other sows. I know, I know, some critics say that\u2019s not enough, but if it cuts down loneliness, that\u2019s a win. Or using deep bedding instead of concrete in the crate\u2014concrete is cold and hard, and sows hate it. Deep straw or wood shavings let them root and make a nest, which is a natural instinct. I had a customer who switched to straw in my crates, and he told me his sows were way more relaxed, less likely to pace. That\u2019s not rocket science\u2014just working with the sow, not against her.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s circle back to that whole \u201cvillain\u201d thing. I get why people are critical of farrowing crates. There are bad operators out there\u2014ones that leave sows in crates for months, no enrichment, no bedding. Those people suck, and I\u2019ll call them out, too. But most of the producers I work with aren\u2019t trying to be cruel. They\u2019re trying to feed millions of people, keep their operations profitable, and take care of their animals the best they can with the tools they have. When a sow is stressed, it costs them money\u2014higher vet bills, more piglet loss, lower milk production. So their incentive is the same as mine: make the sow as comfortable as possible, mentally and physically. That\u2019s why we design crates that are adjustable, easy to clean, and give the sow as much space as possible without losing the piglet safety. I don\u2019t want to supply a crate that makes a sow\u2019s life miserable\u2014 I want to supply a crate that works for both the producer and the sow.<\/p>\n

Now, if you\u2019re a producer reading this, you\u2019re probably thinking: okay, but how do I actually test if my sows are mentally well in crates? It\u2019s not brain surgery. Watch them. Do they eat consistently? Are they active when they should be, not just lying there staring at the wall? Do they interact with their piglets, or are they pushing them away? If you see a lot of bar-biting or pacing, that\u2019s a sign your crate setup or management needs to change. And if you\u2019re a farmer considering switching up your farrowing setup, don\u2019t just listen to the hype about group housing\u2014talk to other producers who\u2019ve done it, weigh the pros (more space for sows) and cons (higher piglet mortality) for your specific operation. There\u2019s no one right answer for every farm.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, the mental well-being of a sow in a farrowing crate boils down to balance. It\u2019s not about pretending crates are perfect\u2014they\u2019re not. They have real downsides for the sow\u2019s mental health, from stress to boredom. But they also save lives, and with smart design, better management, and small enrichments, we can minimize those downsides. I\u2019m not here to argue that crates are the only way forward. I am here to say that they\u2019re a necessary tool for millions of producers, and we as an industry have a responsibility to make that tool as kind as possible to the sows that work so hard for us.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a producer looking to upgrade your farrowing crates, or just want to chat about what setup might work best for your herd\u2014hit me up. No sales pitch, no pressure, just real talk about making things better for both sows and your bottom line.<\/p>\n

Finishing Crate<\/a> References:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Weary, D. M., & Fraser, D. (1999). Review: behaviour of sows in farrowing crates. Applied Animal Behaviour Science.<\/li>\n
  2. Matzke, C. M., et al. (2018). The impact of farrowing crate design on sow stress and piglet survival. Journal of Swine Health and Production.<\/li>\n
  3. Boyle, L. A., et al. (2020). Enrichment for sows in confined housing: A practical review for commercial operations. Livestock Science.<\/li>\n
  4. Farmer, C., & Martineau, G. (2019). Cortisol levels and stereotypic behaviours in sows housed in crates versus group pens during late gestation and farrowing. Applied Animal Behaviour Science.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Qingdao Shengxin Metalware Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    Qingdao Shengxin Metalware Co., Ltd. is one of the leading farrowing crate manufacturers and suppliers in China, providing the best quality farrowing crate with competitive price. Welcome to contact our factory to place orders.
    Address: Wangtai Industrial Zone, Hungdao District, Qingdao City, Shandong Province
    E-mail: sale@sxequipment.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.sxequipment.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Hey there, Farrowing Crate Let\u2019s cut to the chase. If you\u2019ve spent any time in the … How do farrowing crates impact the sow’s mental well – being?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":126,"featured_media":3547,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3510],"class_list":["post-3547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-farrowing-crate-4dc7-3a89d7"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dragobarzini.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dragobarzini.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dragobarzini.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dragobarzini.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/126"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dragobarzini.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3547"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.dragobarzini.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3547\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dragobarzini.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dragobarzini.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dragobarzini.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dragobarzini.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}