Gestation crates confine pregnant sows in spaces too small to turn around for up to 16 weeks. This practice causes severe physical and psychological suffering and is increasingly being phased out globally.
Gestation crates represent one of the most clear-cut examples of industrial farming causing severe animal suffering. Sows are intelligent, social animals who in natural conditions would range widely and build nests before farrowing. Permanent confinement in a space too small to turn around prevents virtually all natural behavior and causes measurable psychological distress. Group housing alternatives are technically and economically viable — the barrier to transition is primarily industry inertia and short-term cost concerns.