AHPC Co-Director Publishes Op-Ed in The Oklahoman on Gestation Crates

AHPC co-director Dr Rebecca Niemiec published an op-ed in The Oklahoman discussing recent scientific studies on the negative animal welfare impacts of gestation crates. She writes: “Gestation crates are typically only slightly larger than a sow’s body, preventing her from turning around or walking. Sows are repeatedly impregnated and confined during each pregnancy, often spending years in these conditions. Oklahoma alone has more than 420,000 breeding pigs housed in gestation crates. Because of growing welfare concerns, 11 states and more than 30 countries have restricted or banned their use […] A 2024 peer-reviewed study published in Nature Scientific Reports led by Dr. Thomas Ede found that pigs given free access to both stalls and open space spent a median of 95 percent of their time outside the stalls, with most animals showing a significant preference for the larger shared area. A 2025 study, also published in Nature Scientific Reports, found that all sows tested exerted force against stall gates in attempts to leave their confinement, leading researchers to conclude that confinement is “most likely an unwanted experience” associated with a negative emotional state.”