Sow Stalls: The Welfare Case for Elimination

Gestation stalls confine pregnant sows so tightly they cannot turn around. The welfare evidence for elimination is overwhelming and driving global policy change.

Key Facts

Gestation stalls (sow stalls) typically measure approximately 60 cm wide — too narrow for a sow to turn around
Sows may spend the majority of a 16-week pregnancy confined in a single stall in conventional systems
Sows in stalls show high levels of stereotypic bar-biting, rooting on concrete, and depression-like behaviors
The EU phased out continuous gestation stall use in 2013; many US states have enacted similar bans
Group housing of gestating sows requires careful management of feeding and aggression but is achievable at commercial scale
Consumer campaigns and corporate pledges have driven significant voluntary industry transition in several countries

Welfare Considerations

Gestation stalls represent one of the most acute and sustained welfare failures in commercial animal agriculture. Pregnant sows — intelligent, highly motivated to move, root, and explore — are confined for months in spaces too small to turn around. Stereotypic behaviors develop rapidly and intensify over the gestation period. Scientific evidence for the welfare harms of gestation stalls is unambiguous; regulatory and consumer pressure has driven meaningful progress in many regions. Countries and producers that have eliminated stalls demonstrate that group housing for gestating sows is operationally viable with appropriate management investment.

What You Can Do

Choose pork products from gestation-stall-free producers or certified higher welfare systems
Support corporate commitments to gestation-stall-free supply chains
Advocate for gestation stall bans in jurisdictions where they remain legal
Learn about group housing systems for sows and the management practices that make them successful