gestation crate
Enable an AI agent to recognise a gestation crate, assess its suitability and condition for an individual sow, and determine which uses or interventions require welfare, operational or legal review.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
6 bundles · 11 layers · 16 findings · 26 questions
Identity and use boundary Establishes what makes the enclosure a gestation crate and which neighbouring housing types must remain distinct.
Reproductive purpose
Connects the enclosure's intended function with the reproductive interval in which it is used.
Intended and observed use
Record documented purpose separately from observed occupancy; neither should silently substitute for the other.
- What evidence identifies this enclosure as intended for individual sow housing during breeding or gestation? definition
- Does its observed use match that purpose, and what reproductive interval does the occupancy cover? boundary
Neighbouring enclosures
Distinguishes gestation confinement from feeding access, procedural restraint and farrowing accommodation.
Classification by confinement
Use exit control, turning space and reproductive function together when resolving ambiguous stall terminology.
- Can the sow turn around or leave voluntarily in the configuration being assessed? measurement
- What separates this enclosure from a free-access feeding stall, a veterinary restraint device or a farrowing crate? boundary
Sow fit and movement Represents the relationship between confinement geometry and the particular sow's body and movements.
Usable envelope
Measures actual space after accounting for gates, troughs, rails and other intrusions.
Clearance relative to occupant
Relate the measured usable enclosure to the assessed animal rather than assigning a universal fit threshold.
- What clear length, width and height remain with the gates closed and feeding equipment in place? measurement
- Which sow measurements and sourced fit criteria support an occupancy decision for this configuration? provenance
Posture and contact
Examines resting positions, posture transitions and contact with enclosure members.
Movement obstruction
Record observed contact and impediments during standing, lying and rising, including uncertainty where observation is incomplete.
- Where do rails, gates or troughs obstruct the sow during standing, lying, rising or limb extension? measurement
- Which observed fit or movement problems require adjustment, removal from service or transfer of the sow? action
Flooring and resource interfaces Covers the surfaces and resource points the sow must use while confined.
Floor and barrier hazards
Assesses footing, openings, projections and interfaces between fixed parts.
Contact and entrapment points
Locate damage or geometry that may expose the occupant to slipping, abrasion, trapping or sharp contact.
- What are the measured openings and gaps in the floor, partitions and gate interfaces, and which are accessible to the sow? measurement
- Which damaged, slippery or projecting surfaces require repair before further occupancy? action
Feeding, drinking and cleaning
Establishes usable feed and water access and the ability to remove contamination from the occupied space.
Resources within confinement
Assess actual access and function at the sow's position, together with contamination and cleaning constraints.
- Can the confined sow reach and use the feeder and drinker, and how was their function checked? measurement
- How can feed residues and manure be removed from the crate, and which cleaning operations require the sow to be moved? action
Confinement operation and release Represents entry, containment, duration, routine exit and emergency access.
Occupancy regime
Records the timing and management conditions of confinement.
Confinement history
Keep actual entry and release events distinct from planned schedules and reconstruct gaps explicitly.
- When did each confinement interval begin and end, and what continuous and cumulative exposure is supported by those records? measurement
- Which reproductive-stage or management conditions trigger scheduled release or reassessment? action
Gate control and rescue
Assesses containment hardware and access when normal exit is obstructed.
Release readiness
Record latch condition, opening clearance and the means of reaching or releasing a sow that cannot exit normally.
- Can each gate and latch be operated as intended with the crate occupied, and is the exit route clear? measurement
- What authorised procedure and equipment allow access to or release of a trapped, injured or recumbent sow? action
Welfare and use requirements Links crate-specific observations and proposed uses to evidence, decision criteria and applicable restrictions.
Animal-based assessment
Records animal observations relevant to confinement without assuming their cause.
Observations and intervention
Track injuries, posture difficulties, resource-use problems and behavioural observations with assessment methods and escalation criteria.
- Which lesions, locomotion difficulties or repeated behaviours were observed, using what protocol and over what observation period? measurement
- Which observations require veterinary assessment, immediate release or a change of housing under the applicable care protocol? action
Jurisdiction and evidence
Determines which dated requirements govern the specific place, facility and confinement regime.
Applicable use decision
Separate legal requirements, assurance conditions and welfare guidance, recording applicability and unresolved interpretation.
- Which authoritative provisions apply to this location, facility category, reproductive stage and proposed confinement duration? provenance
- Does the documented configuration and use satisfy each applicable provision, and what unresolved evidence prevents a decision? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of gestation crate this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of gestation crate this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of gestation crate this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of gestation crate this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of gestation crate this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of gestation crate this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.OBJ
What it is Filled
A gestation crate, also called a sow stall, is a narrow individual enclosure used to house a breeding sow during some or all of pregnancy, allowing her to stand and lie down but generally preventing her from turning around.
In scope
- Identification of individual sow confinement associated with breeding or gestation
- Enclosure geometry, animal fit and restrictions on movement
- Gates, partitions, flooring and feeding or drinking interfaces
- Occupancy, access, release and emergency intervention states
- Crate-specific welfare observations, maintenance needs and applicable use restrictions
Out of scope
- The sow's complete reproductive, veterinary or genetic record
- Farrowing crates and piglet-protection arrangements as distinct enclosure types
- Group housing systems and whole-barn layout or ventilation design
- Farm-wide production scheduling, staffing and biosecurity programmes
- Manure treatment infrastructure beyond its interface with the crate
- Jurisdiction-wide animal welfare policy beyond requirements applicable to the crate's use
Why it exists Filled
Enable an AI agent to recognise a gestation crate, assess its suitability and condition for an individual sow, and determine which uses or interventions require welfare, operational or legal review.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Its intended occupant is an individual breeding or gestating sow; evidence of intended use separates it from a generic livestock cage.
- In its confinement configuration, its geometry prevents the occupant from turning around; a freely turning individual pen requires a different classification.
- A farrowing crate is identified by its intended use during birth and nursing and its relationship to piglet space; appearance or dimensions alone cannot establish the distinction.
- A feeding stall that permits routine voluntary entry and exit should not automatically be classified as a gestation crate; exit control and confinement regime must be established.
- A veterinary restraint device used for a discrete procedure differs from an enclosure intended to house a sow over a reproductive management interval.
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Confine sows in stalls beyond what the law of the place allows.
- Leave a sow without water, feed or veterinary attention.
- Present confinement as welfare-neutral when it restricts natural behaviour.
- Hide welfare problems from inspectors or auditors.
Only with a human decision
- Moving sows into or out of individual stalls.
- Any decision to treat, cull or euthanise a sow.
May
- Describe gestation crates, their dimensions in general terms and the debate around them.
- Monitor sows' feed, water, health and behaviour for the farm that authorised it.
- Report injuries, lameness or distress in confined sows to the stockkeeper.
Moral aspects Filled
- Close confinement prevents a sow from turning around for long periods, which is a serious welfare concern.
- Consumers and farmers face trade-offs between cost, productivity and animal welfare.
Who is affected
- Breeding sows
- Stockkeepers and farm workers
- Consumers
Owners Filled
Steward
The farm operator who keeps the animals; veterinary and animal welfare authorities inspect them.
Master systems
- National farm animal holding registers
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q56055115 - registry parent class
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.gestation-crate
- Wikidata: Q5553675 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5553675)
Direct properties required Filled
- Intended reproductive use: breeding-service interval | gestation | multiple uses | unknown
- Clear internal dimensions: Length, width and height in mm, with measurement points and gate configuration
- Occupant fit assessment: Crate configuration linked to sow identity, body dimensions, assessment method and date
- Movement opportunities: For standing, lying, rising, turning and limb extension: observed possible | obstructed | not assessed
- Gate and release state: open | closed-unlatched | closed-latched | jammed | damaged | unknown; record each gate separately
- Confinement exposure: Continuous and cumulative hours or days, with entry, exit and observation timestamps
- Floor and contact-surface configuration: Floor material, solid or slatted arrangement, openings, edge profiles and bedding provision
- Feed and water access: For each resource: reachable and functioning | obstructed | unavailable | not assessed
- Applicable use requirements: Location and use linked to dated legal, assurance-scheme or contractual provisions and their applicability evidence
Recognition required Filled
- Rows of narrow metal-barred stalls, each about the length and width of one sow.
- A feeder and drinker at the front and a slatted floor at the rear.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- Classify an enclosure from its intended reproductive use, geometry and exit controls.
- Assess a proposed occupant against measured clearances and observed posture transitions.
- Record occupancy and confinement intervals for a defined reproductive stage.
- Inspect and flag crate-specific injury, entrapment, resource-access or release hazards.
- Plan authorised cleaning, repair, opening or animal transfer with appropriate handling precautions.
- Compare a proposed confinement regime with sourced requirements and escalate unresolved applicability or welfare concerns.
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Restricted movement can cause lameness, sores and abnormal behaviour.
- Animals trapped in stalls are at risk in fires or ventilation failures.
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Council Directive 2008/120/EC laying down minimum standards for the protection of pigs, European Union.
Context of use required Filled
- Gestation crates occur in intensive pig breeding facilities as individual accommodation for breeding sows.
- They support individual feeding, observation and management while substantially restricting movement.
- Their use requires assessment of animal welfare, sow size, housing conditions and applicable local restrictions.
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q5553675: gestation crate - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Gestation crate - general description of the item
Open questions
- Which authoritative definitions resolve terminology differences among gestation crates, sow stalls, service stalls and lockable free-access stalls?
- Which published measurement methods and animal-size criteria should govern fit assessment, including changes over gestation?
- Which validated welfare observation protocols and intervention thresholds apply specifically to sows in gestation crates?
- What current jurisdictional restrictions, exceptions, transition dates and assurance requirements govern the intended deployment?
- Which crate-specific design standards, documented failure modes and emergency-release procedures are supported by authoritative guidance or manufacturer evidence?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q5553675/spec.json