Farrowing crates – freedom farrowing – are we getting there?

I have personally been sceptical about the banning of farrowing crates to allow the sow her natural nesting behaviour – but progress is being made. Following the ban of sow stalls in the UK, the compulsory ban on anything without scientific assessments and the proven development of suitable alternatives has always made me concerned. In the UK, outdoor sows kept in arcs produce 0.88 pigs reared/litter less than indoor reared litters (BPEX, 2011) which are mainly reared in farrowing crates. I h