Massachusetts' legislators are reviewing a proposal that, if passed, could result in a ban on sow gestation crates.
The bill suggests fines or jail for anyone who “confines or tethers a pregnant pig on a farm in a manner that prevents the pig from turning around freely.”
Current scientific literature indicates that gestation stalls meet all the criteria listed by the American Association of Swine Veterinarians for proper sow housing, says the National Pork Producers Council.
If passed, Massachusetts would become the second state to ban gestation crates; Florida was the first.