Dr. Kate Plush: Free Farrowing and the Maternity Ring | Ep. 343

In this special episode of The Swine it Podcast Show, marking International Women’s Day, Dr. Kate Plush from SunPork Group shares practical insights on how free farrowing systems can support sow welfare without raising piglet losses. She walks through the maternity ring concept and what it means for sow behavior, piglet survival, team safety, and barn space limitations. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The oval ring controls lying behavior without restricting movement, allowing natural postures while reducing piglet crushing risk."

Meet the guest: Dr. Kate Plush holds a PhD in Animal Sciences from the University of Adelaide and serves as Science, Technology, and Adoption Manager at SunPork Group in Australia. Her work focuses on sow and piglet welfare, reproductive performance, and translating research into commercial pork systems. 

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:11) Introduction
• (05:46) Farrowing ring design
• (08:41) Welfare evidence
• (16:01) Piglet outcomes
• (19:55) Performance data
• (24:26) Future plans
• (27:14) Final three questions

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