Sow accommodation systems were assessed at 76 farms in New Zealand during 1998. The sample was representative of the sampling frame which comprised around 90 of the sow population in the country. During the farrowing to weaning period, 67, 10, and 23 of the sows were held in indoor farrowing crates, 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 outdoor 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 farms, 35 of the sows), and farrowing indoors in crates followed by dry sow stalls (25 of the farms, 29 of the sows). From an animal welfare perspective, New Zealand is in a favourable position because it has well established outdoor and group pen sow accommodation systems.
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