Gestation stalls confine pregnant sows for most of their pregnancy in spaces too small to turn around. This practice causes severe welfare harms and is being phased out in many jurisdictions.
Gestation stalls represent one of the most extreme examples of welfare deprivation in animal agriculture. The complete immobilization of a highly intelligent and active animal for months at a time causes both physical deterioration and profound psychological suffering. Muscle atrophy, bone density loss, and cardiovascular deconditioning arise from enforced immobility. The repetitive stereotypic behaviors that develop indicate extreme frustration of behavioral motivation with no outlet. Group housing for pregnant sows provides the mobility, social interaction, and behavioral expression that gestation stalls prevent entirely. The transition to group housing is technically feasible, economically manageable, and represents one of the most significant welfare improvements achievable in pork production. Consumer and corporate pressure has accelerated reform beyond what regulation alone achieved.