Fig. 1

Illustration of social separation and thereby isolation of the sow from her group in different production scenarios; in organic farming (solid line), the separation lasts for three weeks only, whereas in the most common two intensive production scenarios (two sets of dashed lines), the separation lasts alternatively for 6 weeks or 10 weeks. In organic farming sows are grouped in week 2 of lactation, whereas in intensive production 1, sows are in crates for 4 weeks after AI. In intensive production 2, sows are grouped upon mating