The crushing of piglets by the sow is the main cause of preweaning mortality and has been reported to be responsible for up to 80 per cent of piglet deaths (Weary et al., 1998). Studies have identified that sows maintain some stable behavioural traits over parities, for example response to a piglet scream test (Grandinson et al., 2003), and sows with a history of crushing piglets are more likely to stay inside a farrowing hut whilst housed outdoors (Johnson et al., 2007). However, there is little information available regarding previous piglet-crushing history and its association with the behaviour of sows housed in farrowing crates. This study compared the behaviour immediately post-farrowing of sows with a history of piglet crushing and those without a single recorded mortality due to crushing.