Enforced isolation for pigs.

These are ranks of sow stalls in a derelict and abandoned pig rearing facility. In much of the world it is still common for a pregnant sow to be kept in a sow stall (also called a 'gestation crate') for the whole of her 16-week pregnancy. A sow stall is a metal cage – usually with a bare concrete/slatted floor – which is so narrow that the sow cannot turn around, and she can only stand up and lie down with difficulty. Thankfully sow stalls are now illegal in the UK.

Sow stalls deprive pregnant sows of almost all natural behaviours; they cannot explore, exercise, forage or socialise. Most will never go outside in their lives. Pigs are naturally curious animals who spend much time exploring their environment and searching for food. Keeping sows in cages means they suffer from boredom and frustration; they do not have a life worth living.