Gestation crates for sows are being phased out across the industry driven by welfare science, consumer pressure, and legislative change.
Gestation crates represent one of the most criticized practices in modern farming - confining an intelligent, active animal in a space so small it cannot turn around for months on end. The welfare costs are substantial and well-documented: physical deterioration, chronic frustration of movement and social motivation, and psychological harm. The transition to group housing with electronic feeding systems demonstrates that sow welfare can be dramatically improved without sacrificing production economics, making the continued use of gestation crates in jurisdictions that allow them a choice rather than a necessity.