Effects of different nesting materials on crushing risk and sow posture changes in a farrowing system with temporary confinement

Introduction The provision of nesting material around farrowing is considered an important measure to support sow welfare, yet its practical implementation under commercial farrowing conditions remains limited. Methods This study evaluated the effects of different nesting materials on piglet crushing risk and sow activity in a commercial farrowing system with temporary crating for approximately 9 to 10 days around farrowing. A total of 263 farrowings were assigned to one of three material treatments: hay, straw, and a jute bag as minimal enrichment control. Nesting material use, farrowing performance, and crushing losses were recorded. In addition, sow activity during the first 72 h postpartum was quantified using a computer vision-based approach. Results Although substantial inter-individual variation was observed, the results show that nesting material type had no significant effect on material use. During the first three days postpartum, the odds of crushing were 46 % lower in the straw group compared to the jute bag control (p < 0.05), whereas no significant difference was detected between hay and the control. No significant treatment effects were observed for crushing losses at the end of lactation. Sows provided with straw showed approximately 28 % fewer posture changes than control sows (p < 0.05), and odds of crushing increased by approximately 8 % for every 10 posture changes (p < 0.05). Discussion These findings indicate that not only the presence but also the functional properties of nesting material are relevant for piglet protection. The provision of structured materials such as long-stemmed straw represents a practical management measure to improve welfare outcomes under commercially relevant conditions and may contribute to more stable and less restless sow behavior during the critical periparturient period, even in systems with temporary confinement.