The global transition away from individual gestation stalls toward group housing for pregnant sows is the largest ongoing structural change in pig welfare, with complex welfare implications.
The transition from gestation stalls to group housing represents genuine welfare progress, though the transition is not without its own welfare challenges. Eliminating stalls removes the chronic physical restriction and stereotypy associated with long-term confinement, enabling positive welfare states that are impossible in stalls. However, poorly managed group housing can create aggression, injury, and competition stress that requires proactive management. Well-designed group housing systems with adequate space, feeding system management, and social stability protocols achieve substantially better welfare outcomes than stalls while addressing the practical production needs of commercial pig farming.