Gestation crates confine pregnant sows for most of their lives in spaces too small to turn around. Group housing alternatives improve welfare significantly but require management changes.
Gestation crates represent one of the most significant welfare harms in modern agriculture: pregnant sows are unable to exercise, socialize normally, or express natural behaviors for months at a time. The psychological impact — evidenced by stereotypic bar-biting and depression-like states — is severe. Group housing systems, while requiring more careful management to prevent aggression, allow pigs to move freely, explore, and interact socially. Electronic sow feeding (ESF) systems help manage individual feeding in group settings, making the transition economically viable.