Alternatives to cruel factory farms...

Other housing systems used for female breeding pigs include:

Indoor group pens with individual or group feeding systems – e.g. partial feeding stalls, electronic feeding stations, trickle and floor feeding, usually including a bedding area with litter/straw [These systems are not common in Australia, but are used in Europe];
Indoor large open-ended sheds, hoop-like structures, with litter (ricehulls, straw, sawdust or similar), sometimes referred to generically as ‘Ecoshelters’, housing compatible groups of sows [these sheds are currently used extensively for growing pigs and so far by only a small number of producers to house groups of pregnant sows];
Outdoor straw yards or, more commonly in Australia, paddocks (free range), which include rooting areas, wallows, and kennels/huts for shelter for groups of sows and boars;
Indoor group housing for sows during farrowing and when nursing their litters e.g. the UK Freedom Farrowing Pen;
The Werribee farrowing pen (Australian) – providing more space and litter in the indoor nesting/birthing area for the piglet and sows. The sow moves over the bar to feed, drink and defecate away from the birthing/suckling are.

Free range sow farrowing paddocks, including individual well-designed birthing and nursing huts/kennels for each sow, with straw or other bedding. Piglets are kept in the huts during approximately the first week, then are able to range, whilst the sow can move to food and water at all times.