Progress: Ohio Takes an Important Step to Improve Welfare for Farmed Pigs

Ohio has recently taken a major step forward for animal welfare by becoming the 11th state in the US to restrict the use of gestation crates for mother pigs. Gestation crates are tiny stalls, barely larger than a sow’s body, that confine pregnant pigs for months at a time, preventing them from moving freely or turning around throughout pregnancy.

While gestation crates are illegal or heavily restricted in many countries, particularly across Europe, these abusive cages remain standard practice throughout much of the United States, especially on the nation’s largest factory farms.

Under Ohio’s new animal welfare standards, gestation crates may be used only during the very early stages of pregnancy. After that period, mother pigs must be housed in group systems where they can move freely, enjoy the companionship of other pigs and engage in more natural behaviors. This change has been more than a decade in the making and stems from an agreement reached in 2010 between Ohio farmers and animal welfare advocates, after campaigners gathered enough signatures to place a sweeping livestock confinement ban on the ballot.

Rather than proceeding with a ballot initiative, farmers and advocates negotiated a compromise to phase out extreme confinement systems, a process that has now been fully implemented. This final step marks a major victory for animals, as Ohio is one of the top ten pork-producing states in the country. The agreement also led to several other important animal welfare improvements across the state, including accelerated phase-outs of veal crates, limits on battery cages for laying hens, a ban on dragging “downer” cows to slaughter, stronger penalties for cockfighting, crackdowns on puppy mills, and prohibitions on private ownership of dangerous exotic animals.

Nearly 98% of Ohio’s pork farms are family-owned. Ohio’s decision to raise minimum welfare standards demonstrates that ending the worst forms of confinement does not prevent agricultural operations from continuing or remaining economically viable. It also sends a clear message that individual states should be free to advance more humane animal care standards without federal interference.

This change comes as federal officials have taken a concerning stance on state-level animal welfare protections. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has made disturbing remarks indicating her desire to force states to accept pork produced using gestation crates, effectively attempting to roll back hard-won protections in states like Ohio and California. Ohio’s action shows just how out of step that position is with both farmers and the public.

If you haven’t already, please join us in speaking out against this kind of government overreach and in support of mother pigs by signing and sharing our petition below.