Group housing systems for gestating sows offer welfare improvements over gestation crates but require careful management to prevent aggression and competition.
Gestation crate alternative welfare science has demonstrated that group housing can deliver substantially better welfare than crates when properly managed, but also that poor management of group systems can create different welfare problems through aggression and competition. The welfare improvement from movement freedom, social interaction, and behavioral expression in group systems typically outweighs aggression costs even in moderately managed systems. The most welfare-positive outcomes come from stable social groups, adequate space, and feeding systems that eliminate competition-based resource conflict.