A gestation crate, also known as a sow stall, is a metal enclosure used in pig farming, in which female breeding pigs (sow) are crammed inside the crate during pregnancy, and in effect for most of her adult life. Some of these gestation crates are so small the animals could barely move for virtually their entire lives.

The latest news involving gestation crates is a undercover investigation by the the Humane Society of a Virginia pig farm that's owned by Smithfield Foods, the largest pork producer in the world.