Gestation crates — individual metal stalls in which pregnant sows are confined for most of their lives — are one of the most contested practices in industrial pig farming. Their welfare impact and the transition to group housing represent a major industry-wide reform challenge.
Gestation crates cause severe chronic welfare problems through physical confinement preventing natural movement and behavior. Sows cannot turn around, walk, or socialize. Stereotypic behaviors — bar-biting, rooting at bare concrete — occur in the majority of crated sows and indicate profound behavioral frustration. The scientific consensus that gestation crates cause significant suffering has driven legislative and corporate commitments to eliminate their use. Group housing is not without welfare challenges — social aggression must be managed carefully — but properly managed group systems provide dramatically better welfare outcomes. Consumer purchasing choices and corporate procurement policies are the most powerful drivers of the transition away from gestation crates.