Pig Welfare: From Gestation to Farrowing

The transition from gestation to farrowing is one of the most welfare-critical periods for sows in commercial pig farming. Understanding the needs of sows during this time is essential to improving their lives.

Key Facts

Sows in conventional systems spend most of gestation in individual stalls too small to turn around
The EU banned gestation stalls for most of gestation in 2013; the US has partial state-level bans
In farrowing crates, sows cannot turn around or perform natural nesting behaviors before birth
Wild sows spend up to 12 hours building elaborate nests before giving birth
Piglets in crates face crushing risk from the sow — a trade-off between sow and piglet welfare
Group housing systems with enrichment can achieve similar piglet survival with improved sow welfare

Welfare Considerations

Sows confined in gestation and farrowing crates experience severe frustration of their natural behavioral drives. The inability to perform nesting behavior before farrowing is a significant welfare harm — sows show stereotypic rooting and pawing that indicates distress. Chronic confinement causes muscle atrophy, joint pain, and psychological suffering. Modern group housing systems with anti-crushing features and nest-building materials can significantly improve sow welfare without sacrificing piglet survival rates, demonstrating that welfare improvements are feasible at scale.

What You Can Do

Choose pork products certified to higher welfare standards (e.g., Certified Humane, Animal Welfare Approved)
Support campaigns advocating for gestation and farrowing crate bans
Reduce pork consumption or shift to plant-based alternatives
Ask supermarkets about their sourcing policies for pork products
Support organizations advocating for legislative reform in pig farming standards