Question: Why Gestation Crates Are Good?

Most people do not know that, by nature, pregnant sows get mean and will fight each other.

The pens are used to prevent sows from these fights, which often cause injuries and sometimes even death.

“It takes one-third more space to convert existing sow housing from gestation crates to group pens.

What is the purpose of gestation crates?

“But from a health standpoint, there is no question that gestation stalls protect the animal and prevent injuries. That’s a point that is missing in many of the messages.” Gestation stalls also make it easier for producers to monitor individual sow health and to administer vaccines as needed.

Why are farrowing crates good?

Also, farrowing crates provide a cooler area for the sow and warmer areas for the young pigs. The flooring is designed to keep the pigs dry which reduces the spread of enteric diseases.” Farrowing stalls also allow farmers to help sows during the farrowing process if needed.

Are gestation crates legal in the US?

They are banned in the United Kingdom and Sweden, and in nine states in the US (Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon and Rhode Island). However, farrowing crates, in which female breeding pigs can be kept for up to five weeks, are not banned.

Are farrowing crates economically beneficial?

Farrowing crates are considered to be economical, efficient and safe with maximising piglet survival as a main aim. However they raise serious welfare concerns, particularly for the sow. To find out more information visit What Are The Welfare Issues With Crates.

Why are farrowing crates bad?

The reason for using farrowing crates is to maximise survival of piglets by preventing them from being crushed by their mother. Welfare issues associated with the use of sow stalls and farrowing crates arise from the fact that pigs are intelligent, social animals, with a complex range of behaviours and needs.

Are farrowing crates legal?

Currently, the RSPCA’s Freedom Foods’ scheme allows for sows to be confined to farrowing crates for up to 10 days at a time (up to 5 days before birth and up to 5 days after birth). During this time she will not be able to even turn around. However, the scheme will prohibit farrowing crates from December 31 2013.

How long do Sows stay in farrowing crates?

Sows enter a farrowing crate just prior to farrowing and remain until piglets are weaned. Some pork producers will adjust farrowing crates to provide a sow more room 5 to 10 days after farrowing.

What is a hog farrowing crate?

Hog Slat farrowing crates are designed to provide outstanding sow comfort before, during and after farrowing; while also creating a safe and productive environment for newborn piglets to grow during the nursing period before weaning.

How do you stop piglets being crushed?

What I’ve found is that the best way to prevent piglet crushing is to breed for good sows. Good sows lay down gently, lift when needed, are attentive, build good nests away in a private spot, defend the nest against other pigs encroaching and don’t crush piglets.

Why do they put pigs in cages?

Sow stalls

Most will never go outside in their lives. Pigs are naturally curious animals who spend much time exploring their environment and searching for food. Keeping sows in cages means they suffer from boredom and frustration; they do not have a life worth living.

Are pig cages used in Canada?

Canada Bans Gestation Crates In Which Pigs Can’t Turn Around. Canada’s pigs are about to get a little more breathing space. “There is still much advancement needed to improve the welfare of pigs raised on Canadian farms, but this Code of Practice is a monumental first step.”

Are gestation crates legal in Canada?

Canada Bans Lifelong Confinement for Pigs in Controversial Gestation Crates. MONTREAL—Humane Society International/Canada welcomes the release of the ground-breaking new pork industry Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs, which includes a ban on continuously confining pregnant sows in gestation crates.

Who invented farrowing crates?

Pigs were domesticated in China around 4900 B.C., and around 1500 B.C. in Europe, but what we know today as the farrowing crate didn’t get its start until hundreds of years later. The earliest known example comes from the UK in 1807 with “Mr. Pattinson’s Pig Cases” (shown below).

How big is a farrowing crate?

FC-1 farrowing crates are in rooms 1-8; crates are 17 in. wide at the top and the length from feeder to butt bar is 71 in.; bottom bow bars are 27 in. wide; overall size of the farrowing crate is 60 x 80 in. (5.0 x 6.8 ft.).

Are farrowing crates legal in UK?

Farrowing crates

Sweden – banned, although temporary crating is permitted at farrowing in exceptional circumstances. UK and most of rest of EU – sows may be kept in farrowing crates from seven days before farrowing until weaning.

What is a farrowing stall?

Farrowing stalls, sometimes called crates, may be used to confine the sow so that she may stand or lie down but cannot move about and accidentally crush her young.

What is the average weight of a sow?

The domestic pig’s head-plus-body-length ranges from 0.9 to 1.8 m (35 to 71 in), and adult pigs typically weigh between 50 and 350 kg (110 and 770 lb), with well-fed individuals often exceeding this weight range.

Why do pigs bar bite?

These behaviors are often described as abnormal behavior in part because they arise under circumstances in which animals are thought to be “bored” or “frustrated”. Some examples of stereotypies in pigs are pacing, bar, biting, vacuum chewing (chewing when nothing is present), and chain chewing.

Why are pigs farmed?

Pigs are farmed principally for food (e.g. pork, bacon, gammon) or sometimes skinned. They were valued as a source of meat and fat, and for their ability to convert inedible food into meat, and were often fed household food waste when kept on a homestead.

What are pigs kept in?

A sty or pigsty is a small-scale outdoor enclosure for raising domestic pigs as livestock. It is sometimes referred to as a hog pen, hog parlor, pigpen, pig parlor, or pig-cote, although pig pen may refer to pens confining pigs that are kept as pets as well. Pigsties are generally fenced areas of bare dirt and/or mud.

Photo in the article by “Wikipedia” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gestation_crates.jpg