Farrowing and Gestation Crates
- During Pregnancy: Gestation Crates. Gestation crates or individual stalls are used as a way to nurture the animals and protect them first during pregnancy.
- Pre and Post-Birth: Farrowing Crates. ...
- Alternatives to Gestation Crates. ...
- Benefits of ESF with the Osborne TEAM ® System. ...
What is a gestation crate?
A gestation crate, also known as a sow stall, is a metal enclosure in which a farmed sow used for breeding may be kept during pregnancy. A standard crate measures 6.6 ft x 2.0 ft (2 m x 60 cm). Sow stalls contain no bedding material and are instead floored with slatted plastic, concrete or metal to allow waste to be efficiently collected below.
How long are sows kept in gestation crates?
Sows used for breeding in 6.6 ft × 2.0 ft (2 m × 60 cm) gestation crates. Between 60 and 70 percent of sows are kept in crates during pregnancy in the United States. Each pregnancy lasts for three months, three weeks, and three days.
What are gestation crates and why does McDonald's use them?
His latest campaign involves pushing McDonald's to require all of its US-based pork suppliers to abandon the practice of using gestation crates – where pregnant sows (female pigs) are placed in small crates and confined to this space, usually of seven feet by two feet size, during the entire period of pregnancy.
Why do they put sows in crates?
Because the animals are vulnerable during this time, with some sows more aggressive than others, the practice of separating the animals in crates keeps them from fighting and injuring each other. In addition, the case has also been made that crates make it easier for hog farmers to monitor individual sow health and administer vaccines as needed.
What is a gestation crate used for?
Gestation crates or individual stalls are used as a way to nurture the animals and protect them first during pregnancy. Because the animals are vulnerable during this time, with some sows more aggressive than others, the practice of separating the animals in crates keeps them from fighting and injuring each other.
How long are sows kept in gestation crates?
16 weeksGestation crates are used for the entirety of a pigs gestation period (16 weeks).
Why do producers use farrowing crates?
Farrowing crates make for a more economical way of keeping farrowing sows indoors since they take up less space than farrowing pens that allow sows to move freely during and after giving birth. It is also easier for farmers to look after the sows without fear of being injured by a mother protecting her young.
What companies use gestation crates?
Several well-known brands, such as Marriott, Burger King, and Einstein Noah Bagels, set deadlines for achieving their gestation crate-free pork goals that have since passed, with little attention to acknowledging missed milestones.
Are farrowing crates necessary?
The farrowing crates not only protect farmers, but it makes it easier for them to monitor the birthing process. The farrowing crates make it easier for the farmer to manually assist the sow if she has trouble or becomes distressed while birthing her babies.
Why do pigs need a farrowing crate?
Why was the farrowing crate invented? To reduce piglet mortality. The farrowing crate was first introduced in the 1960s and its main purpose was to lower the risk of piglets being crushed by the sow by controlling her movements, particularly when lying down.
Why farrowing crates are bad to the sow before birthing?
The meat industry repeatedly impregnates female pigs so it can raise and kill their newborn piglets. These female pigs will spend their entire pregnancies trapped in a “gestation crate”—a metal cage that is so tight, a pig can't even turn around.
What does gestation crate free mean?
“Gestation crate free” meant no use of gestation crates.
Why are sow stalls used?
Sow stalls were used to protect individual pregnant sows from fighting, which can cause both injuries and abortions. Sow stalls also allow sows to be protected while they are individually fed, so they will not be pushed away from their feed by a “bully” sow.
Where are farrowing crates banned?
Commercial sows normally produce just over 2 litters a year with around 10-12 piglets per litter. She has a breeding lifetime of about 3 years before being sold for slaughter and replaced. Farrowing crates have been banned in Sweden, Norway and Switzerland. In the rest of the world they are widely used.
What is a gestation crat?
In hog farming, gestation crates are utilized as an individual pen in which sows and gilts are confined during the period of pregnancy. Also known as sow stalls, the enclosures are generally made of metal and come in various sizes. They were introduced in the 1960s to increase production on farms, to meet a pig’s nutritional needs during pregnancy, and to provide a means of safety for animals. When sows were placed in group pens during pregnancy, it was noted that some ate more than they should and others had less feed than they needed. Also noted was the animal’s aggressive behavior while pregnant.
What is the term for a sow's crate before giving birth?
Pre and Post-Birth: Farrowing Crates. Shortly before giving birth, the pregnant sow is moved into a farrowing crate, which should not be confused with gestation crates. When sows farrow, they need the space to give birth to their litters.
Why do hog farmers use stalls?
Gestation crates or individual stalls are used as a way to nurture the animals and protect them first during pregnancy. Because the animals are vulnerable during this time, with some sows more aggressive than others, the practice of separating the animals in crates keeps them from fighting and injuring each other. In addition, the case has also been made that crates make it easier for hog farmers to monitor individual sow health and administer vaccines as needed.
Why do piglets need heat mats?
Using heat mats also keeps piglets safe from their large-bodied mothers by providing a gently warm resting area to lie on when not nursing.
Do farrowing crates help pigs survive?
Unlike the debate surrounding the use of gestation crates, no debate surrounds the use of farrowing crates. Farrowing crates ensure that piglets survive. The mortality rate for piglets in open farrowing areas is 25-30% versus a 6-8% mortality rate in farrowing crates. The basic design of farrowing crates has remained the same for decades.
Gestation crates are widely used but have adverse health and welfare implications
A gestation crate, also known as a sow stall, is a metal enclosure in which a farmed sow used for breeding might be kept during pregnancy.
The rise in consumer and investor activism makes the practice a liability for food companies
Pork producers and retailers are facing increasing scrutiny from the public and activists on the use of gestation crates. A 2008 US national survey found that 69% of respondents would vote for a referendum prohibiting the use of gestation crates in their state of residence.
Gestation crates are increasingly being phased out by regulation
In many Western countries, changing consumer attitudes on gestation crates have limited their use. Sweden was the first country in 1994 to introduce a ban on gestation crates, shortly followed by the UK in 1999. In 2010, New Zealand committed to phasing out their use by 2015, and in 2013, the European Union agreed to prohibit their use.
Pork producers that do not plan for regulatory changes will see higher production costs
There is an ongoing debate as to whether or not production costs are higher when producing crate-free pork. A report for the European Commission found that for each 0.5m 2 increase in space per sow, there is an approximate 1% increase in investment and housing costs.
The rapid cage-free transition illustrates the risk for the pork industry
Regulatory pressure combined with consumer and investor activism has already resulted in significant changes in the food market; for example, eggs marketed as cage-free in the US made up just 2% of the market in 2010. By 2020, they accounted for 28% of the market and are expected to reach 70% by 2026.
Appendix
Please find a list of current regulations below. This is accurate as of February 2022.
Why do we use gestation crates?
Because of this, gestation crates serve to separate animals to keep them safe, well-fed, and administer vaccines and other medications as needed.
Why do sows use crates?
Gestation crates are often used to increase production and to ensure that a sow’s nutritional needs are met during pregnancy. When they’re housed in crowded conditions, pregnant sows either eat way too much or way too little. Aggression can also be an issue.
What is the Purpose of a Farrowing Crate?
Most farrowing crates are used from about 5 days before a sow is due to farrow until when the piglets are weaned.
What do sows and gilts do before farrowing?
You probably already know that one of the main things sows and gilts do before farrowing is to create a nest.
Why do farmers use farrowing crates?
Some producers rely on farrowing crates to help them more easily monitor a sow’s health, administer medications, and tend to other task s.
Can you use farrowing crates on a hog farm?
Even if you aren’t running a large commercial hog farm, you may consider using farrowing crates to deal with the frustrating reality of dead piglets.
Is a farrowing crat the same as a sow stall?
Farrowing crates are sometimes referred to as gestation crates or sow stalls but they are technically not the same.
Where are pregnant pigs kept?
While the majority of the pig population is kept in sheds like these, a 2014 report from the Humane Society noted that pregnant pigs are kept in smaller “gestation crates”:
Is gestation crates legal in the US?
While a handful of states in the US have banned gestation crates and others have vowed to phase out the practice, the majority of the United States still allows their use .
