Gestation crates confine pregnant pigs in spaces too small to turn around, causing severe physical and psychological suffering. Welfare-focused housing alternatives exist and are increasingly adopted.
Gestation crate confinement is one of the most welfare-damaging practices in industrial animal agriculture. Pigs are highly intelligent, social animals with strong motivation to explore, root, and interact. Crate confinement causes chronic frustration, learned helplessness, and physical deterioration including leg weakness and pressure sores. The inability to perform even basic movement creates measurable psychological distress. Research consistently shows that group housing systems with proper design provide substantially better welfare outcomes. Many major food companies have pledged to eliminate gestation crates from their supply chains, but implementation timelines vary widely and enforcement mechanisms are often weak.