Group housing systems can produce more active and social sows, leading to a healthier pigs. It will increase muscle strength and decrease lameness with stronger bones from the ability to move around. An example of a group housing system is free access stalls. The degree to which sows actually use the free space is not well understood. In this experiment, 95% of sows used the free space, though not for extended periods of time or on a regular basis. Sows in ‘T’ pens used the space a lot more than sows in ‘I’ pens. Heavier and older sows used the space more, with average use being around 18%.
Free Space Utilization of Sows in Free Access Stalls (full article)
