Pig Gestation Crates: The Global Phase-Out and Remaining Challenges

Gestation crates that prevent pregnant sows from turning around represent one of the most contested welfare issues in pig farming, with a global phase-out underway but far from complete.

Key Facts

Gestation crates are metal stalls approximately 60x200 cm in which pregnant sows are confined for most of their 16-week gestation
Sows in gestation crates cannot turn around, walk forward, or perform natural behaviours including rooting and social interaction
The EU banned gestation crates for most of gestation from 2013 allowing their use only in the first four weeks after insemination
Several US states have banned gestation crates and major retailers including Walmart have made cage-free pork commitments
Global gestation crate use remains widespread outside the EU, North America, Australia, and New Zealand
Sow welfare in group housing requires good management to prevent aggression, with evidence that properly managed group housing achieves better welfare outcomes

Welfare Considerations

Gestation crate confinement prevents sows from performing fundamental natural behaviours for most of their adult lives, creating a state of chronic physical and psychological deprivation. The welfare science condemning gestation crates is unambiguous and has driven regulatory action in many major markets. However, the global transition is far from complete: hundreds of millions of sows globally remain in gestation crates, and even in markets with bans, compliance is imperfect. The challenge of managing group-housed sows with different social needs and competitive dynamics is real but manageable with appropriate facility design and stockperson training. Consumer demand for group-housed pork in markets where alternatives are available drives the commercial case for transition.

What You Can Do

Choose pork products certified as from non-gestation-crate systems in markets where this information is available
Support campaigns for complete gestation crate bans in your country or state if not already enacted
Advocate for international trade standards that do not allow gestation crate production to undercut welfare-standard producers
Follow welfare organisations that monitor gestation crate phase-out progress and compliance in markets with existing bans