Influencing the transition to free or flexible systems for farrowing and lactating sows (ENRA 2025 poster)

Sows giving birth and suckling their piglets are kept in farrowing crates which severely restrict their movements and behavioural freedom. Momentum for change to free or flexible (i.e. temporary) farrowing systems is growing, with voluntary or legal bans coming in across EU countries, and a major debate in the UK pig industry. SRUC has a 40-year history of applied research and knowledge exchange in this area, influencing farming stakeholders, regulators and policy makers. Recent work has included discussions on regulations and policy with NGOs and industry stakeholders including QMS and AHDB, attending roundtables hosted by CIWF and SG, advising farmers and policy makers (EU, SG, Defra) and demonstrating SRUC’s PigSAFE free farrowing system. We are also developing SowSpace – a decision support tool that distils the scientific and experiential knowledge into design data, allowing stakeholders to visualize systems virtually and guiding them towards making decisions that optimize both welfare and productivity.