Alternatives to housing sows in individual stalls

摘要

In the near future, veterinarians may be called upon to evaluate farms for welfare compliance. Practitioners will also handle inquiries from clients concerning the cost of installing and operating a "welfare-friendly" system. In years past, economic pressures have influenced pork producers to increase efficiency of production by maximizing space utilization. This led to the development of individual gestation stalls for housing sows, which restricted the area to 14 ft~2 per sow. However the EuropeanUnion has recently passed regulations that discontinue the use of gestation stalls as of January 1, 2013. Similarly, in the United States, restaurant chains have been pressured by animal welfare advocates to monitor the use of pork that is sold in theirestablishments to ensure that they are using "properly" raised pork. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) have responded by issuing position statements supporting the prudent use of gestation crates. However animal rights activists continue to demand action to ban gestation stalls as indicated below.