Pig Gestation Crate Phase-Out: Welfare Progress

Gestation crates confine pregnant sows in spaces too small to turn around. Their phase-out represents one of the most significant farm animal welfare advances in recent decades.

Key Facts

Standard gestation crates measure approximately 0.6 m x 2.1 m — barely larger than the sow herself
Sows can be confined in crates for most of their 16-week pregnancies, repeated across multiple cycles
The EU banned gestation crates in 2013 (with exceptions for first 4 weeks and last week of pregnancy)
UK, Sweden, and several US states have banned or phased out crates
Over 1 billion pigs are born annually in facilities using various confinement systems
Group housing allows sows to move, socialize, and express natural behaviors

Welfare Considerations

Gestation crates cause severe welfare harm: chronic frustration, muscle atrophy, joint problems, stereotypic behaviors (bar-biting, head-weaving), and inability to perform natural behaviors including rooting, nesting, and social interaction. Scientific consensus is that the confinement causes suffering. Group housing systems, while requiring management of aggression, allow far greater welfare by enabling movement and behavioral expression. The transition to group housing is ongoing globally, but progress is uneven.

What You Can Do

Choose pork products certified as crate-free (Certified Humane, RSPCA Assured, Global Animal Partnership)
Support legislation banning gestation crates in your country or state
Ask retailers and food service companies about their supplier welfare commitments
Reduce pork consumption or shift to higher-welfare alternatives to reduce market demand for crate-raised pork