Stand up for the welfare of pregnant sows

In North America, due to high land values, environmental problems, and efficiency in handling and managing the swine breeding hers, most sows (female pigs for breeding) are kept in gestation crates during pregnancies, sometimes for life time (Hollis et al, 2010; BCSPCA, 2009). The confinement provides convenient control for producers yet raises animal welfare issues at the same time (BCSPCA, 2009). Physical injuries and mental stress are common (Karlen et al, 2007). Stillborns of piglets is another welfare issue of using gestation stalls (Oliviero et al, 2010).

Every year in Canada, there are more than 1 million sows being confined in gestation stalls throughout their pregnancies (Humane Society International/Canada, 2009). For easy management purpose, gestation crates are designed to limit movement of sows. The dimensions of the confinement are 26-28 inches in width and 7 feet in length with slight variation, which means sows are entirely restrained in the crate (BCSPCA, 2009). Sows in the confinement are able to stand, sit, and lie down; however, walking and turning around is impossible in this environment (BCSPCA, 2009). Each confined sow is able to access food and water freely without competition which happens in the group housing situation (Ontario Pork, 2011). Plus, gestation stalls help maintain relatively clean and dry environment (Ontario Pork, 2011). Individual gestation stalls are preferred to solve aggression, labor and human safety issues raised under group gestation housing conditions (Ontario Pork, 2011).

Many natural behaviors of sows such as roaming, rooting, building nests, and communications with other pigs are restricted in the gestation crate environment (BCSPCA, 2009). With restrictions of movement, health problems are common. The welfare challenges for sows confined in gestation stalls mainly occurs in later gestation period (Karlen et al, 2007). A study indicates that high incidences of lameness are always associated with the use of gestation stalls (Karlen et al, 2007). Sows in this confinement spend more time lying rather than standing, probably because of the increasing amount of injuries on feet and legs (Karlen et al, 2007). These injuries could be the result of long time standing without moving around. Due to the increasing weight of pregnant sows during gestation, as well as the difficulties of changing position in the gestation stalls, sows’ limbs are not capable of holding the body for a long time without any movement. Abrasion is another common injury to sows in the confinement (Karlen et al, 2007). This makes sense because due to the restriction of the stall, any attempts to stand up or lie down is more likely to cause physical contact with the metal bars and floor slats, which makes sows more susceptible to the injuries.

The study also indicates that the neutrophil: lymphocyte ratio increases among sows confined in stalls, which is an indicator that animals may have been under stress (Karlen et al, 2007). This is not a good sign because stress and food safety are related (Morrow, 2010). Stressful sows that are kept in modern housing have higher opportunity shedding pathogens like Salmonella and Campylobatcter species into the environment (Morrow, 2010). In the context of sows kept in gestation sows, they have chance shedding pathogens and pass them on to piglets after farrowing. This increases the risk of causing a food safety issue later, because the infected piglets are raised for meat for humans to consume.

Gestation stalls also affect the duration of farrowing for sows. Compared to farrowing pens which have average time of 212±152 minutes, gestation stalls (described as farrowing crates in the study, but in fact gestation stalls judging by dimensions of the confinement) average 301±165 minutes on duration of farrowing (Oliviero et al, 2010). According to the same study, a short duration of farrowing is crucial for piglet survival, because longer the farrowing time, higher the chance of stillborn would occur (Oliviero et al, 2010). This could be the result of the design of gestation stalls which offer very limited space so that sows are not even able to move when they are farrowing. Without movement, piglets are not stimulated to move along inside the sows’ body, so stillborn might occur due to lack of oxygen.

Some European countries such as United Kingdom, Sweden, and The Netherlands have already forbidden the use of gestation stalls for confining pregnant sows at any stage or partial period of sow reproduction (CCFA, 2011). In the United States, there are also seven states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan and Oregon) have already agreed to progressively phase out the use of gestation crates (CCFA, 2011). At the same time, a European Union-wide legislative ban on use of gestation stalls will be in effect in 2013 (CCFA, 2011). There is an increasing awareness of sow welfare and an increasing trend of protecting them globally. Canada is also in action. A campaign with regards to phase out the use of sow stalls has been recently launched by Canadians for Ethical Treatment of Food Animals (CETFA) and the Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals (CCFA) in Manitoba, requesting to phase out the use of such confinement (CCFA, 2011).

Gestation crates provide very limited space for pregnant sows. The confinement is popular because they provide producers good control of each individual sow (BCSPCA, 2009). However, it raises animal welfare issue such as physical injuries, mental stress, as well as stillborns of piglets (Oliviero et al, 2010). Some European countries have already banned the use of gestation stalls (CCFA, 2011). Unfortunately, most producers in North America are still using this confinement for their sows (Humane Society International/Canada, 2009).

if humans can bear with keeping this position for months during the pregnancy, I guess sows wouldn't mind doing the same thing then...

Work Cited

BCSPCA. 2009. The Welfare of Pigs in Canada. The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. http://cfhs.ca/files/bc_spca_factsheet_pig_welfare.pdf

CCFA. 2011. Sow stalls – a mother’s dismal hell: Farm animal welfare groups call for an end to sow stalls in Manitoba . http://www.humanefood.ca/news_end_sow_stalls.html

Hollis, G. R., L. B. Driggers, A. J. Muehling, G. R. Carlisle. 2010. Condinement sow gestation and boar housing. Pork industry handbook. 2:94-98.

Humane Society International/Canada. 2009. Gestation crates in Canada. http://www.hsi.org/issues/farm_animal_confinement/facts/gestation_crates_020509.html

Karlen, G. A. M., P. H. Hemsworth, H. W. Gonyou, E. Fabrega, A. D. Strom, R. J. Smits. 2007. The welfare of gestating sows in conventional stalls and large groups on deep litter. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 105:87-101.

Morrow, J. 2010. Swine stress and pathogen shedding. Pork industry handbook. 1:393-395.

Oliviero, C., M. Heinonen, A. Valros, O. Peltoniemi. 2010. Environmental and sow-related factors affecting the duration of farrowing. Animal reproduction science. 119:85-91.

Ontario pork. White paper on sow housing. 2011. http://www.ontariopork.on.ca/Portals/0/Docs/Communications/Presentations/sowhousing_whitepaper_2011webFINAL.pdf