Survey Finds Support For Open Housing For Sows

The intensive confinement endured by female pigs used for breeding is an issue of importance in the animal protection community. A recent study commissioned by the National Pork Board examined pig farmers’ opinions on a variety of topics including gestation stalls. The findings indicate that a quarter of the pork producers surveyed no longer use gestation crates and 28% intend to adopt open pens or convert to stalls that allow for more movement. The survey also touched on pig farmers’ satisfaction with their line of work, their thoughts on the direction the industry is heading, and what they consider to be their biggest challenges.

[Abstract excerpted from original source.]

“In a recent survey, 53% of pork producers said they already have housing systems other than gestation stalls or plan to change to more open pens. Fully 25% said they do not use gestation stalls, 14% said they plan to adopt to open pens and another 14% said they plan to convert to stalls with gates that open and permit sows to move around.
Only 10% of producers said they are continuing to use gestation stalls. It should be emphasized that the survey was conducted over a random and small number of producers — 550 producers — and that only one-third of them said they have sows on their farms. The survey, commissioned by the National Pork Board and conducted by polling company Moore Information, revealed an industry with a positive attitude despite an industry that took huge losses last year and is forecasted to take equally large losses this year (Feedstuffs, March 4). […]”