Pregnant pigs in conventional farms are confined in gestation crates so narrow they cannot turn around. This extreme confinement during pregnancy has been identified as a major pig welfare issue worldwide.
Sow gestation crates represent a near-total restriction of normal behaviour during pregnancy. Pigs cannot walk, socialise, root, or engage in any natural behaviour beyond eating and drinking. The chronic frustration of these fundamental drives manifests in stereotypic repetitive behaviours including bar-biting, head-weaving, and rooting at the bare floor. These behaviours indicate poor welfare and psychological suffering. Long-term confinement causes muscle wastage, urinary tract infections, joint problems, and foot injuries from lack of movement. The psychological impact of years spent in near-immobility during multiple pregnancies constitutes severe chronic suffering for highly cognitive and social animals.