Group sow housing; coming to America

For the US swine industry, the most controversial animal welfare issue debated over to date is the discussion on housing facilities of pregnant sows; more specifically, the use of gestation stalls/crates. From a scientific standpoint, there are pros and cons to every housing system. Based on the research, there is no one ideal system to house a pregnant sow, and in fact, management of the sows rather than the facility itself plays a critical role in the productivity, health and success of a herd