Gestation crates confine pregnant sows in spaces too small to turn around. Global phase-outs are progressing but unevenly, with significant welfare improvements when alternatives are well-managed.
The welfare case against gestation crates is clear: preventing a sow from turning around for 16 weeks causes chronic physical discomfort, muscle atrophy, and psychological deprivation from inability to perform natural behaviors. The high prevalence of stereotypic behaviors in crated sows is a measurable welfare indicator. The transition to group housing is welfare-positive but requires careful management — poorly designed group housing with inadequate space, feeding management, or social group composition can cause significant injury from aggression, offsetting welfare benefits. Well-designed group housing with ESF systems, appropriate stocking density, enrichment, and careful social group management achieves substantially better welfare outcomes than crates. The trajectory is clearly toward group housing globally, but enforcement, management quality, and the pace of transition determine how quickly billions of sows actually benefit.