Gestation crates confining pregnant sows individually have been extensively studied, with evidence strongly indicating serious welfare harms that have driven legislative and corporate bans globally.
The scientific consensus is that gestation crate confinement causes significant and prolonged suffering. Sows are highly intelligent, social animals with strong motivation to move, explore, and nest. Confinement in a space too small to turn around for months at a time prevents all these natural behaviors. Research consistently shows elevated stress hormones, increased incidence of stereotypic behaviors like bar-biting, muscle atrophy, joint problems, and signs of psychological distress in crated sows. The welfare case against gestation crates is among the strongest for any routine farm animal practice.