Gestation crates confine pregnant sows in spaces barely larger than their bodies. The welfare evidence against this practice has driven significant legislative and industry change.
Gestation crate confinement causes profound welfare harm to pregnant sows through complete deprivation of natural behaviors including rooting, turning, and social interaction. The stereotypic behaviors observed in crated sows - repetitive bar-biting, sham-chewing - are behavioral indicators of severe frustration and chronic stress. Muscle weakness and joint problems from prolonged immobility cause physical suffering. The EU's legislative ban followed robust welfare science, and the subsequent voluntary corporate commitments in the US demonstrate that alternatives are economically viable. The persistence of gestation crates in many production systems represents a welfare failure that consumer and regulatory pressure continues to address.