Gestation crate

Common card · No. 249812

A gestation crate, also known as a sow stall, is a metal enclosure in which a farmed sow used for breeding may be kept during pregnancy. A standard crate measures 6.6 ft × 2.0 ft (2 m × 60 cm). This is insufficient room for a sow to turn around. Gestation crates are associated with higher levels of injury and disease. They contain no bedding material and are instead floored with slatted plastic, concrete or metal to allow waste to drop below. This waste is then flushed into open-air pits known as lagoons. A few days before giving birth, sows are moved to farrowing crates where they are able to stand up and lie down, with an attached crate from which their piglets can nurse. Opponents argue they are a form of animal abuse, citing the detrimental effects of close confinement and the barren conditions. Supporters argue they are necessary to prevent aggression among sows housed together. Gestation crates are banned in the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland and Sweden, and in nine states in...

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