Gestation Crate Phase-Out and Sow Welfare Progress

Gestation crates confine pregnant sows for most of their 115-day gestation in spaces too small to turn around, causing profound behavioural restriction and associated welfare problems. Legislative and corporate bans are progressively phasing out this system globally.

Key Facts

Gestation crates measure approximately 60 cm wide by 200 cm long — insufficient for a sow to turn around or take more than one step forward or backward
The EU banned continuous gestation crate use in 2013, requiring group housing from four weeks after service until one week before farrowing
In the United States, over a dozen states have enacted gestation crate bans, and major food companies including McDonald's, Walmart, and Subway have made supply chain commitments
Sows in gestation crates show higher rates of stereotypic bar-biting, oral manipulation, and body rocking than sows in any form of group housing
Cardiovascular fitness, bone density, and leg strength are all significantly lower in crate-housed sows than in group-housed animals

Welfare Considerations

Continuous gestation crate confinement deprives sows of the ability to perform any natural behaviour — they cannot turn, forage, socialise, explore, or exercise. This creates a state of chronic motivational frustration and physical deconditioning that persists throughout multiple pregnancies over a breeding lifetime of 3 to 5 years. The scientific consensus that gestation crates cause significant welfare harm is unambiguous. Progress is measurable — EU group housing requirements, US state bans, and major corporate commitments have reduced global gestation crate usage, but enforcement gaps and global supply chain opacity mean many pigs worldwide remain affected.

What You Can Do

Choose pork products with verified gestation-crate-free supply chains and certification that goes beyond marketing claims
Contact pork retailers and food service companies that have made commitments to verify their timelines and progress
Support legislative campaigns in countries where gestation crates remain legal and unrestricted
Donate to farm animal welfare organisations driving corporate commitment campaigns and legislative advocacy
Reduce pork consumption while welfare-improved supply chains scale up globally