Farmed Animals

Sow Gestation Crates: The Welfare Case for Abolition

Gestation crates confine pregnant sows individually for most of their 16-week pregnancies, severely restricting natural behavior and causing chronic stress.

Key Facts

Gestation crates are 0.6m wide — too narrow for a sow to turn around
The EU banned conventional gestation crates in 2013, allowing only 4 weeks of individual confinement
Some countries including the US still permit continuous gestation crate confinement
Group housing with electronic individual feeding achieves welfare goals while maintaining production efficiency

Welfare Considerations

Sows in gestation crates cannot perform motivated behaviors including turning, nesting preparation, and social interaction. The frustration of movement motivation causes chronic stress and stereotypic behaviors including bar-biting and head-swaying. The technical and economic solutions to group housing exist and have been demonstrated at scale in countries that have implemented the ban.

What You Can Do

Choose pork and pork products labeled gestation-crate-free or free-range
Support legislation to ban gestation crates in countries where they remain legal
Ask pork producers specifically about gestation crate use in their supply chains
Reduce pork consumption or shift to plant-based alternatives to reduce demand