When converting pig farming to animal-welfare-oriented husbandry systems, it is important to take all stages of rearing into account. The rearing of piglets also requires appropriate alternative systems offering more space, enrichment and access to the outdoor environment. In practice, there are currently very few animal-welfare-oriented housing systems with outdoor areas designed for piglet rearing. At the Bavarian State Farm in Schwarzenau, three different designs were therefore implemented and brought into operation in 2021. What do these designs look like and how are the animals coping with them? Magdalena Krebs, a research assistant at the State Farm in Schwarzenau, describes the animal caretakers’ experiences with the three alternative piglet rearing systems.