Sow gestation crates confine breeding pigs so severely they cannot turn around, with growing international movement toward group housing alternatives.
Gestation crate confinement is one of the most severe forms of farm animal welfare restriction, preventing sows from expressing basic movement behaviours for months at a time. The psychological effects include learned helplessness, depression-like states, and elevated stress hormones. The transition to group housing requires investment in stockmanship skills to manage aggression, but producers who have made the transition report comparable performance with significantly improved sow welfare and longevity.