Handheld - farrowing

A week before they give birth, pregnant sows will be moved to farrowing crates where they will give birth and nurse their young.

Unable to stretch or turn around, these mothers will spend most of their time lying on their side as their piglets suckle from them. Sows in mating stalls and farrowing crates frequently develop painful pressure sores from lying in the same position for days or weeks at a time. The filthy conditions means that these wounds often become infected, leading to sickness and death.