Sow preferences for walls to lean against when lying down

In conclusion, walls with farrowing rails appear to be less attractive to lie down against than other wall designs. Although farrowing rails provide piglets with escape zones they may not be optimal for piglet survival because they do not encourage the sow to lie down alongside a wall, rather than in the open. Moreover, they may not be optimal from a sow welfare perspective due to lack of support for the sow when lying down.