Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Gestating Sow Welfare

Gestating sow welfare is improving globally as individual stall systems give way to group housing, though implementation quality varies significantly.

Key Facts

Individual stalls prevent sows from turning around or expressing natural behaviors for 16+ weeks
EU banned gestation stalls after the first four weeks in 2013
US phase-outs of gestation stalls are ongoing with major pork producers
Group housing sows experience better welfare than stall-housed sows but aggression management is critical

Welfare Considerations

Gestating sows confined in individual stalls experience one of the most severe forms of captive animal immobility. The EU ban represented a significant welfare improvement but implementation challenges and enforcement gaps mean many sows worldwide still live in conditions that cause profound welfare compromise.

What You Can Do

Choose pork from producers that have fully phased out individual gestation stalls
Advocate for gestation stall bans in countries where they remain legal
Support auditing programs that verify group housing quality not just its presence
Engage with major pork retailers about their supply chain gestation stall phase-out timelines