Housing sows in a group environment for at least part of their gestation will be a requirement in the New Zealand pork industry from 2015. Group housing may also be a requirement in the Australian pork industry in the future, depending on the outcomesof the current review of the National Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals -Pigs. Group housing enables the sow to perform locomotory behaviours and have social contact with other sows that may improve sow welfare. However, there are alsoassociated risks when sows are housed in groups, such as increased aggression between sows that may impact negatively on animal welfare and reproductive performance. It is critical that piggery managers and stockpeople have an understanding of the socialmanagement of sows and the relationships between social behaviour and the physical pen environment and breeding and feeding management of the group-housed pregnant sow - as all these factors can affect the success of the group housing system. There arestill many issues left unresolved regarding the optimum space and social requirements of sows housed within group systems. Further research to fine tune the management of group housing systems will need to be done within the next five years to ensure that pork producers are provided with strategies for implementing successful housing systems.
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