Gestation Crate Phase-Out: Managing the Transition for Pig Welfare

How pig producers can successfully transition away from gestation crates to group housing systems while maintaining sow welfare and productivity.

Key Facts

Gestation crates confine pregnant sows in stalls so narrow they cannot turn around for the majority of their 16-week pregnancy
The EU banned new gestation crate installations in 2013; sows may only be crated for the first 4 weeks after service
The US, Canada, and Australia are in various stages of voluntary and regulatory phase-out driven by retailer commitments
Group housing allows sows to move freely, interact socially, and express natural behaviours — significantly improving welfare
The transition to group housing raises management challenges: aggression at feeding, lameness from flooring, and body condition management
Electronic Sow Feeding (ESF) systems allow individual feeding in group settings, managing competition and ensuring each sow receives her ration
Producers who have completed successful transitions report comparable or improved reproductive performance alongside better welfare outcomes

Welfare Considerations

Gestation crates prevent sows from performing nearly every natural behaviour: they cannot turn around, lie in a comfortable position, interact socially, or forage. The chronic frustration, muscle atrophy, joint pain, and psychological deprivation of sows confined throughout pregnancy represents one of the most significant welfare problems in commercial livestock production. Transition to group housing is not without challenges — poorly managed group housing with inadequate resources can generate its own welfare problems through aggression and feeding competition. But the evidence is clear that well-managed group housing substantially improves sow welfare across multiple measures. The challenge for producers is implementing the transition thoughtfully: appropriate group management, suitable flooring, adequate feeding systems, and stockperson training are all prerequisites for successful group housing welfare outcomes.

What You Can Do

Choose pork products certified by schemes that prohibit gestation crates throughout pregnancy
Support retailer and food company commitments to source gestation-crate-free pork and hold them accountable for progress
Advocate for legislative phase-out of gestation crates in jurisdictions that have not yet acted
If involved in pig production, engage with producer networks that support transition planning and share experience
Support research into group housing management that minimises aggression and ensures all sows maintain adequate body condition