ReviewPorcine health management2026
Sow behaviour, parturition process and management in free farrowing systems.
Review in Porcine health management, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The pig industry is increasingly transitioning from traditional farrowing crates to free farrowing systems, driven by growing concerns for animal welfare and regulatory pressures to enhance sow well-being. Free farrowing systems, which allow sows greater freedom of movement, have emerged as a welfare-oriented alternative to traditional farrowing crates. These systems enable the expression of natural behaviours, particularly nest-building, which is hormonally driven and peaks shortly before parturition. Adequate provision of diverse nesting materials facilitates nest-building, optimizes endocrine preparation for farrowing, and can shorten farrowing duration, improving piglet vitality and colostrum intake. Farrowing in sows encompasses three stages: preparatory behaviour and cervical dilation, active piglet expulsion, and placental expulsion. Free farrowing systems are associated with lower maternal stress, higher endogenous oxytocin, and more natural behavioural expression, potentially influencing parturition kinetics. However, dystocia incidence remains comparable to crated systems, indicating that careful management is still required. Key indicators for monitoring farrowing in free farrowing sows include piglet birth intervals, placental expulsion timing, litter-level meconium scoring, umbilical cord integrity, and maternal physiological markers such as progesterone. Excessive or routine administration of exogenous uterotonics is discouraged due to the risk of overly strong contractions, increased stillbirths, and reduced colostrum intake. Placental expulsion patterns offer additional insights, with sows expelling the first placenta before or alongside the last piglet, or with more than four placental parts, exhibiting prolonged farrowing. While free farrowing systems improve welfare and allow more natural parturition, effective management based on sow behaviour and physiology remains essential to mitigate risks and optimize reproductive outcomes. In conclusion, free farrowing systems represent a significant advancement in sow welfare, facilitating natural maternal behaviours and promoting better physiological preparation for parturition. Continued research is needed to refine monitoring strategies, define intervention thresholds, and fully harness the potential of these systems to enhance both sow and piglet health, demonstrating that improved welfare can coexist with productive performance.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.