The days of pregnant pigs being confined in cages roughly the same size as their bodies are numbered.

According to the Canadian branch of Humane Society International, the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) has designed a draft code of practice for the care and handling of pigs that it says will improve animal welfare in pork production nationwide.

One of the key measures is eliminating the confinement of expectant pigs in gestation crates that don't allow the animals to even turn around.

The new code of practice will take effect in 2014, at which time the construction of new gestation crate operations throughout Canada would be prohibited, the Humane Society said.

"While there is still significant room for improvement in the code of practice, we look forward to engaging with the public and with NFACC throughout the consultation period to address the most concerning issues," said Humane Society spokeswoman Sayara Thurston.

In April, the Retail Council of Canada and eight of Canada's largest retailers, including Walmart, Costco and Sobeys, committed to sourcing fresh pork products from alternatives to gestation crates over the next nine years.

And two of the three largest pork producers in Canada — Olymel and Maple Leaf Foods — have already announced that they will shift away from gestation crates within the next four to nine years.

A recent national poll showed that 84% of Canadians support a complete phase-out of the use of gestation cages.