Replacing gestation crates with group housing systems for pregnant sows improves welfare by allowing movement and social interaction, though requires careful management to prevent aggression.
Continuous gestation crate confinement causes severe physical and psychological suffering in sows. Inability to turn, lack of social contact, and barren environments lead to stereotypic behaviours including bar-biting and repetitive head movements. Musculoskeletal deterioration from chronic immobility causes long-term lameness. Well-managed group housing, while requiring more skilled stockmanship, dramatically improves sow welfare. The key welfare challenges in group housing — aggression and competition — are manageable through design and management rather than confinement.