The industry has agreed to the voluntary phase out of gestation stalls, which confine pigs in a small pen, by 2017, reports ABC Rural.

Roger Campbell, CEO of the Pork CRC, says the manual for feeding pregnant sows in group housing is the first of its type.

"Fifty per cent of the industry have already changed in a two and half year period, so it's driven by that, it's trying to catch up with the industry to be honest to make sure that the technology that they have available is appopriate for the new system," he told ABC Rural.