Survey of sow accommodation systems used in New Zealand

Sow accommodation systems were assessed at 76 farms in New Zealand during 1 998. The sample was representative of the sampling frame which comprised ar ound 90% of the sow population in the country. During the farrowing to wean ing period, 67, 10, and 23% of the sows were held in indoor farrowing crate s, indoor pens, and outdoor arks, respectively. During the pregnancy period , 32, 40, and 28% of the sows were in dry sow stalls, indoor pens, and outd oor paddocks, respectively. The most common combinations were farrowing in arks followed by holding in dry sow paddocks (25% of the farms, 23% of the sows), farrowing indoors in crates followed by dry sow pens (26% of the far ms, 35% of the sows), and farrowing indoors in crates followed by dry sow s talls (25% of the farms, 29% of the sows). From an animal welfare perspecti ve, New Zealand is in a favourable position because it has well established outdoor and group pen sow accommodation systems.