Reducing piglet mortality in free farrowing systems

Free farrowing is a tendency that is growing in Scandinavian and Western European countries. Yet, it hasn’t really broken through on a large scale. Part of that is related to mortality figures amongst young piglets. So, how far along is the development of free farrowing systems and what can be expected in the future? When renowned pig farmer Annechien Ten Have first tested free farrowing on her 600-sow farm in Beerta, The Netherlands, she was a true pioneer in her field. There was no handbook