Gestation crates - metal stalls that prevent pregnant sows from turning around - are one of the most controversial practices in commercial pig farming, with clear welfare science demonstrating their harm.
Gestation crates represent chronic, systemic welfare failure on an enormous scale. A sow that cannot turn around for months at a time - enduring this for 4-6 pregnancies over her productive life - experiences cumulative physical and psychological harm. The muscle atrophy from confinement means she becomes progressively less able to stand and walk during the brief periods she is outside the crate. Stereotypic behaviors - bar-biting, head-swaying, sham rooting on concrete - develop and persist, indicating persistent frustration and distress. The scientific evidence is unequivocal. Consumer pressure has driven more change in gestation crate use than regulation in the US - company commitments following advocacy campaigns have reduced gestation crate use significantly, demonstrating the power of organized consumer action.