Wendy’s cutting pork from farms with gestation stalls

Quick service restaurant chain Wendy’s is planning to phase out serving pork and bacon sourced from farms that use gestation stalls, the company recently announced. The company has set 2022 as its target to source only crate-free pork.
The move away from gestation stalls is part of the chain’s Supplier Code of Conduct, released on November 23.
Since its founding in 1969 by Dave Thomas, Wendy's has operated under a core set of values and has enjoyed long-standing, collaborative relationships with some of the food industry's leading suppliers. This Code of Conduct takes into account the current best practices and standards of Wendy's supply chain and also identifies future aspirations to encourage continuous improvement in a meaningful way.
"When Dave Thomas was eight-years-old he dreamed he'd run the best restaurant in the world," said Emil Brolick, Wendy’s president and CEO. "Under his leadership, Wendy's helped to lead the way to set and enforce standards for the humane care of animals raised for our food as part of a responsible, safe and sustainable food supply chain.  Additionally, because of Dave's commitment to quality, he only wanted the freshest ingredients; therefore, he created an infrastructure that has allowed us to serve beef that has never been frozen along with other fresh ingredients, like iceberg and romaine lettuce, tomatoes and strawberries in our more than 6,000 North American restaurants."

Smithfield progresses with conversion to group sow housing

Smithfield Foods reported January 6 that its hog production subsidiary, Murphy-Brown LLC, made significant strides in 2014 in transitioning pregnant sows on its company-owned farms in the United States to group housing systems, reaching the 71.4 percent mark by the end of the year.
In the company's latest update, Smithfield Foods reported that during 2014 the company increased the number of pregnant sows transitioned to group housing systems by nearly 20 percent over results for 2013. That means at the outset of 2015 more than seven out of every 10 Murphy-Brown pregnant sows on company-owned farms in the U.S. are in group housing systems.
"We made a business decision in 2007, based on input from our customers, to convert to group housing for our pregnant sows on all of our U.S. farms, and I'm proud of the fact that our employees are working very hard to make good on our commitment and complete this challenging task by 2017. I am very pleased that our employees report that group housing works equally well from both an animal care and a production standpoint," said C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods.
A year ago, Smithfield Foods announced it was recommending that all of Murphy-Brown's contract sow growers join with the company in converting their facilities to group housing systems for their pregnant sows by 2022, with a sliding scale of incentives to accelerate that timetable. "We have been encouraged with the initial response to our request to join with us in this commitment," said Dennis H. Treacy, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer of Smithfield Foods.
Smithfield's international hog production operations also will complete their conversions from gestation stalls to group housing systems on company-owned farms by 2022. Smithfield's hog production operations in Poland (AgriPlus) and Romania (Smithfield Ferme) began utilizing group housing facilities on company-owned farms a number of years ago. The company's Granjas Carroll de México (GCM) and Norson joint ventures in Mexico are committed to phasing out gestation stalls on company-owned farms by 2022.

Project provides real-world information on loose sow housing

Hog producers will benefit from research on switching from gestation stalls to loose sow housing as a result of a pilot project underway on a Maple Leaf Foods barn near Steinbach, Canadian Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced.
The $1.2 million project received $790,000 from the federal and provincial governments and is the largest complete barn conversion in Manitoba. Funding was used to:


• Remove gestation stalls and replace them with a design that allows sows to move freely throughout the barn;
• Purchase and install new feeding systems that use radio frequency identification tags to ensure each sow receives the appropriate nutrition; and
• Train employees on the new systems and how to train the sows to use the feeders.
"These are the first scale conversions to open sow housing in Canada and our priority was to complete them in a manner that enhanced animal welfare and maintained a safe work environment,” said Lynda Kuhn, senior vice president of sustainability and public affairs at Mapl Leaf Foods. “We are very pleased with the outcome, including maintenance of high safety standards for our people, and better access to feed, more freedom to move and minimal aggression among animals. The support of the federal and Manitoba governments was pivotal to these projects and we are sharing what we've learned to assist the broader industry."
The 1,250-head barn conversion was completed last winter. As part of the funding agreement, research gathered from this barn conversion will be shared through factsheets, seminars and workshops with other Manitoba producers over the next two to five years. They will provide real-world data on barn design, equipment needs, animal nutrition and care, and employee training requirements. The 1,250-head barn conversion was completed last winter.
Manitoba uses the standards set under national codes of practice to enforce provincial legislation related to animal care and welfare. Earlier in 2014, the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs, a standard developed by the National Farm Animal Care Council, was updated. As a result, all hog barns built in Manitoba after July 1, 2014 must use loose housing models. There are stricter standards for existing barns, which must phase out gestation stalls by July 1, 2024. The code also set out standards related to animal health, husbandry and transportation. Development of the code followed national public consultations that resulted in 4,700 submissions from producers, processors, veterinarians and animal welfare advocates.
This project is funded under Growing Forward 2 - Growing Assurance. In Manitoba, the federal and provincial governments are investing $176 million under Growing Forward 2, a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial policy framework to advance the agriculture industry, helping producers and processors become more innovative and competitive in world markets.
"The Canadian pork industry is a major economic driver. This project will assist in developing and adopting new tools and strategies for the sector to remain competitive and sustainable, and provide more opportunities for producers to prosper," said Ritz.
"This project will give producers a better understanding of loose housing and some real-world knowledge on how to make their own successful transition. Manitoba's pork producers continue to put a top priority on animal care and herd health.  Moving forward, the results of this project will be important for the sustainable future of the industry,” added Kostyshyn.
Karl Kynoch, Chair of the Manitoba Pork Council applauds the effort and says Manitoba Pork has been actively encouraging producers to look at alternative housing systems.

Myths about individual sow housing systems examined in video

Housing systems for pregnant sows have become an issue of controversy and confusion, but a new Meat MythCrusher video takes viewers on a tour of a sow housing operation to explain the complex humane handling considerations that go into housing systems for pregnant sows.
The video features Stacy Scramlin, Ph.D., assistant professor of animal science at South Dakota State University and Janet Riley, American Meat Institute (AMI) senior vice president of public affairs and liaison to the Animal Welfare Committee, touring a modern, biosecure hog facility where visitors must shower when entering and existing to ensure the health of the pigs.
“Housing for pregnant sows is a complex issue that can be complicated by emotion and misinformation. We felt it was important to address some of the myths and facts from inside a facility where pregnant sows are housed,” said Riley.
Scramlin discusses several issues that must be considered when selecting the best sow housing for a particular farm, including management of feed and water as well and protection of sows from one another.
She notes that according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, welfare is determined by several factors, not just the housing system. “Regardless of the system, as long as it is managed properly, that is the most important thing for the well-being of the animal,” Scramlin said.
The Meat MythCrusher video series is produced by AMI in conjunction with the American Meat Science Association (AMSA), and seeks to bust some of the most common myths surrounding meat and poultry production and processing.
The video series is now in its fifth year and includes 39 videos which have been viewed more than 80,000 times. Other video topics include myths surrounding antibiotic use in livestock, “Superbugs” in meat, Meatless Monday, hormone use in animals, ammonia in ground beef, grass-fed beef and more.

Cargill moves to group housing for sows

Cargill, one of the largest pork producers in the United States, is continuing its commitment of moving to group housing for its sows that produce hogs for pork. Company owned facilities will be 100 percent group housing by the end of calendar 2015. Contract hog farms that contain Cargill-owned sows will transition to 100 percent group housing by the end of calendar 2017.
The hogs produced by Cargill-owned sows represent approximately 30 percent of the total hogs harvested annually at the company’s two pork processing facilities in Illinois and Iowa.
Cargill’s U.S. pork operation has maintained 50 percent group housing for company owned sows over the past several years. The company’s 2011 acquisition of an idled hog farm complex in the Texas Panhandle is allowing Cargill to achieve 100 percent group housing for its gestating sows. Over the past three years, Cargill has invested more than $60 million in the purchase and improvement of the 22,000-acre property near Dalhart, Texas, including the construction of sow barns containing group housing and conversion of existing sow housing from the type known as stalls/crates. Cargill’s Dalhart facility employs more than 300 people, including a team trained to care for the animals at the site.
“Over the past two years, many of our retail, foodservice and food processing customers have made decisions about future sourcing of pork products from suppliers that use group housing for gestating sows,” stated Mike Luker, president of Wichita-based Cargill Pork. “While Cargill was a pioneer in the use of group housing for gestating sows dating back more than a decade, in the past few years growing public interest in the welfare related to animals raised for food has been expressed to our customers and the pork industry.
“Both group housing and individual housing have pros and cons, and we continue to learn, and evolve best practices from our transition to group housing,” explained Luker. “While an industry change of this magnitude is challenging and costly, we believe it is the right thing to do for the long term future of pork production in the U.S., and our customers agree with us and support our decision. Nevertheless, we need to be mindful that many family farms involved with raising hogs have their life savings invested in their operations and it will require time and other resources if they choose to make a conversion to group housing.”
Based upon the timetable Cargill has set up for completing the transition to group housing for gestating sows, the company will be prepared to support “early adopter” customers seeking pork products from alternative sow housing in the next few years. Cargill’s pork business maintains a commitment to the highest standards of animal handling and welfare, and continuously explores technologies that allow it to enhance its efforts in this important area of animal agriculture to help feed a hungry world.

Smithfield Foods recommends its contract growers convert to group housing for pregnant sows

Smithfield Foods and its hog production subsidiary, Murphy-Brown LLC, is recommending all of its contract sow growers join with the company in converting their facilities to group housing systems for pregnant sows. The company said that it is asking contract sow growers to convert by 2022 with a sliding scale of incentives to accelerate that timetable. Growers who commit to convert to group housing will receive contract extensions upon completion of the conversion.
At the same time, Smithfield Foods reported that Murphy-Brown had, through the end of 2013, transitioned 54 percent of pregnant sows on its company-owned farms in the United States to group housing systems.
The announcement supports the company's industry-leading effort that began in 2007 when it was the first major pork supplier to commit to transitioning to group housing systems on company-owned farms. "More and more food companies are looking to suppliers to move toward group housing systems for pregnant sows," said Dennis H. Treacy, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer of Smithfield Foods. "To date, more than 50 companies-many of them Smithfield customers-have announced that they will source pork in the future from suppliers utilizing group housing."
Treacy added, "In line with our animal care initiatives and sustainability goals, and in order to meet the needs of our customers, we believe that it is now time to encourage conversion of pregnant sow housing systems at contract sow grower facilities. In fact, several growers have already converted or have made plans for the change." Smithfield notified their contract sow growers nationwide of this recommendation last month.
Treacy emphasized that although the conversion of contract sow growers' facilities to group housing systems is being encouraged, it is not mandatory. If growers choose not to participate, their current contracts with Murphy-Brown will remain unchanged, although extensions are less likely.
C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods, understands fully what the company is asking of its contract sow growers.
"We recognize that these projects require a significant investment on the part of our growers," Pope said. "But a well-planned renovation to a group housing system will help maintain the farms' value for years to come, while at the same time supporting our companywide commitment to animal care."
In 2007, Smithfield made a business decision based on input from its customers to convert to group housing for pregnant sows on all company-owned U.S. farms. Smithfield remains on track to finish its conversion to group housing systems on all company-owned U.S. farms by 2017. Smithfield's international hog production operations will complete their conversions from gestation stalls to group housing systems on company-owned farms by 2022. Smithfield's hog production operations in Poland (AgriPlus) and Romania (Smithfield Ferme) completed their conversions to group housing facilities a number of years ago.

Roundy’s to eliminate sow gestation crates by 2022

Roundy's Inc., a Midwest grocery store chain in the United States, announced it is working closely with its pork suppliers to phase out pig gestation crates from its supply chain by 2022.
"Roundy's believes animals can and should be raised, transported and processed using procedures that are free from cruelty and neglect. We stand committed to the highest standards of animal well-being and, in the coming months, we will begin working with our partners to eliminate gestation crate housing from our supply chain," says Donald G. Fitzgerald, Group Vice President-Merchandising and Procurement for Roundy's. "We recognize that this is an important issue for our customers and we will continue to enhance company policies based on the latest scientific research and societal concerns."

Canadian sow housing conversion project is underway

As the sow housing conversion debate continues across Canada, the Prairie Swine Centre is helping pig producers find the most cost-effective and beneficial housing for their sows by using a model produced at the University of Manitoba. The model uses the physical attributes of the current barn along with the pig producer's plans for the future to develop the best cost barn conversion plan.
Two pilot pig barns that were identified from a number of applicants from Saskatchewan and Manitoba have entered into the first stages of the planning process to look at options for converting to group sow housing.
The pig barns taking part in the pilot study were visited by researchers Dr. Jennifer Brown, Dr. Laurie Connor and David Wildeman. During this initial visit the various group sow housing options were presented, giving the barn staff, managers and research scientists a chance to talk through each systems features and benefits. The sow housing model was also showcased to demonstrate what it will bring to the project.
The selected pig barns were also visited so physical measurements could be taken to upload into the model. The flooring measurements are critical as this can be the biggest hurdle in any barn conversion. The existing slatted areas, drainage and slurry systems are all set up for sow stalls and as areas are opened up and group loafing and sleeping areas set out, the model will take the current flooring into consideration to reduce the impact of any new flooring costs.
The project aims to provide blueprints and cost estimates for housing conversion that can be used by the pig producers and construction team to complete the conversion. This information, along with the producer's experiences during the planning process will be shared with the industry to give other pork producers insight into the practicalities of converting to group housing.
According to Claude Vielfaure, Hylife Ltd, a pork operation based in Manitoba, he wanted to be involved in the project, "as a business we are always looking at creating programs that will suit our variety of customers' needs, so the idea of working with researchers who have already explored the group sow systems was a great opportunity." "The barn visit went well and our staff got a lot out of seeing the different systems available to the industry."

Smithfield Foods releases group sow housing video progress on its company-owned farms

Smithfield Foods released a video showing its group sow housing progress and what pregnant sows' lives are like on company-owned pig farms. In 2007, the world's largest hog producer announced it was phasing out individual gestation stalls in favor of group housing for pregnant sows by 2017.
When completed in 2017, it is estimated that the U.S. conversion will have cost about $300 million. In addition, Smithfield's international hog production operations also will complete their conversions to group housing on company-owned farms by 2022.
"We think this is both an entertaining and informative look at how we are caring for pregnant sows, with actual footage from our sow farms that helps to explain how the group housing system ensures the safety, comfort and health of the sows during the gestation process," says  Dennis H. Treacy, Smithfield's executive vice president and chief sustainability officer.

More space per sow may be best housing option

When reconstructing sow housing, more space per animal could be the better solution, Ron Bates, Michigan State University swine genetics management professor, told attendees at the World Pork Expo on June 6.
There is no clear-cut approach to reconfiguring barn space, Bates said. Producers will want to be able to maintain as much sow inventory as possible, but there are other issues to look at, as well. Animal welfare and the producer's ability to monitor the sows are just as important.
"The more sows you have in a pen, it's much harder to evaluate individuals, particularly in short stalls. Your eyes and your ears are very important in evaluating sows," he said. "Trying to maintain the inventory is not your only consideration. You have to think of sow comfort, sow welfare, how we're going to manage not only the sows in pens, but also the sows that have been injured."
Bates also cautioned World Pork Expo attendees to take some time and do the research on what kind of barn configuration will work best for the individual operation and to think of what's best, rather than what's expedient.  

Survey finds US pig producers want to choose sow housing system

US pork producers approved a resolution that farmers should be able to select a sow housing system, including gestation stalls or individual maternity pens, to best promote employee safety and animal care, at the 2013 National Pork Industry Forum.
A survey conducted in 2012 by University of Missouri Extension economist Ron Plain, found that currently 17.3 percent of sows spend a portion of gestation in open pens. Plain surveyed pig farms with 1,000 or more sows and received responses from 70 farms, which combined own about 3.6 million of the 5.7 million sows in the United States.
Plain's survey also found that 20.2 percent of sows on operations with 1,000 to 9,999 sows, 18.9 percent on farms with 10,000 to 99,000 sows and 16.4 percent on farms with more than 100,000 sows are in open pens for some portion of gestation.
When asked about plans to put more sows in open pens, the largest pig farms indicated that 23.8 percent of their sows would be in them in two years; farms with 10,000 to 99,999 sows would have 21.3 percent of their pigs in such pens; and farms with 1,000 to 9,999 sows would have 20.7 percent.
A recent National Pork Board producer survey found that farms producing fewer than 5,000 hogs per year (approximately 200 sows or less) were more likely to use some form of open housing.

Pig equipment supplier offers free slat gauge

A free gauge to measure slat gaps is being offered to UK pig farmers to help them comply with the EU sow housing welfare directive that became law on January 1, 2013.
“Slats, particularly concrete ones, can become damaged or worn with age, particularly in heavily used areas,” says Quality Equipment director, Graham Baker. “Pig farmers whose slats gaps exceed the apertures specified risk failing their farm assurance inspections.”
The handy, pocked-sized, stainless-steel gauge, with 14mm 16mm 18mm 20mm and 22mm graduations, enables farmers or stockmen to check slat gaps in various parts of their piggeries quickly and easily without fiddling with tapes or rulers.
The gauges are available by post from Quality Equipment by calling +01359 240529.

New training station teaches sows to use a demand feeding system

The SowComp training station teaches sows to reach the trough by passing through a narrow passage. The WEDA Dammann & Westerkamp’s new model works with open doors so animals get used to taking up their feed in a demand feeding station in a fast, uncomplicated and stress-free way.
To simulate real operating conditions of the later demand feeding station, the unit is equipped with a double-flap iron-barred exit gate. This prevents pigs entering in the wrong direction.
As a rule, the training station is installed far away from the herd of sows, in the quarantine division. It is recommended to split up the gilts to be trained into groups of 15 to 20 animals. After a training period of approximately two weeks, the sows are conditioned and know exactly how a demand feeding station functions.
After this, they can be transferred into the proper waiting area. As the animals are now used to walking along a passage for taking up their feed, their shying away from automatic demand feeding stations is practically non-existent now.

SmithField Foods transitioned 38 percent of its US sows to open housing in 2012

By the end of 2012 Smithfield Foods transitioned 38 percent of pregnant sows on its company-owned hog farms in the U.S. from gestation stalls to group housing systems. The world’s largest pork processor and hog producer is on track to completely phase out individual gestation stalls in the U.S. by 2017.
In addition, Smithfield’s international hog production operations will complete their conversions from gestation stalls to group sow housing for its company-owned farms by 2022. Smithfield's hog production operations in Poland (AgriPlus) and Romania (Smithfield Ferme) completed their conversions to group sow housing on company-owned farms a number of years ago. The company's Granjas Carroll de Mexico (GCM) and Norson joint ventures in Mexico are phasing out gestation stalls on company-owned farms by 2022.
Smithfield announced, in 2007 its decision to convert to group housing for pregnant sows on all company-owned U.S. farms based on input from customers.

Target to eliminate pig gestation crates from supply chain

Retailer Target has said it will eliminate the sow gestation stall housing system from its supply chain by 2022, according to reports.
“Target recognizes this task will involve a large undertaking from our pork product vendors and we will partner closely with our vendors as they work through this transition," said the company.
The Humane Society of the United States has said it supports Target's announcement. “Target’s got gestation crates in its crosshairs and should be commended for working to improve conditions for pigs in its supply chain,” said Matthew Prescott, food policy director for the society. “Americans simply don’t support the lifelong confinement of animals in cages so small they can’t even turn around, and it’s both an ethical decision and good business move for Target to recognize that.”
Similar announcements have recently been made by McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Oscar Mayer, Costco, Safeway and Kroger.

Hillshire Brands to find alternatives to sow-stall use

Hillshire Brands, owner of Hillshire Farms, Ballpark, Jimmy Dean and State Fair meat brands, has announced it is actively engaged in discussions with its suppliers on alternatives to traditional sow gestational housing, and intends to have a solution in place by the end of 2022.
The company's plan is to source all pork from suppliers who use housing that provides the animals the opportunity for adequate movement and comfort, while also ensuring their safety. "Hillshire Brands takes concerns about the welfare of animals seriously, which is why we have a comprehensive Animal Well-Being Program in place," said Mike Cummins, director of corporate communications. "We know we share a responsibility to ensure the meat we sell is safe and that it comes from animals raised in a humane way."

Aramark to eliminate pork from gestation crate-bred animals

Aramark has announced that it plans to eliminate all pork from animals bred using gestation crates in its U.S. supply chain by 2017.
Aramark and the Humane Society of the United States have been collaborating to put in place a plan that would address gestation crate issues by working with the company’s suppliers to eliminate the utilization of crates within their supply chains. To meet this goal, Aramark has asked its primary pork suppliers to develop plans for reducing, and then eliminating, gestation crates. In addition, Aramark will begin immediately to require new supplier contracts for pork to provide a plan that addresses how they will phase out gestation creates to meet these goals.

Survey finds most US pig producers use gestation stalls

A survey released at the 2012 World Pork Expo found that a majority of the U.S. sow herd spends some time in individual housing or gestation stalls. Recently, several large fast-food companies announced they will only use pork from pig operations that are gestation-stall free.
The survey, conducted by University of Missouri extension economist Ron Plain, found that currently only 17.3 percent of sows spend a portion of gestation in open pens. Plain surveyed pork operations with 1,000 or more sows and received responses from 70 operations, which combined about 3.6 million of the nation’s 5.7 million sows.
“Today’s survey shows that these food companies obviously haven’t thought through the complexities, logistics or implications of their requests,” said National Pork Producers Council President R.C. Hunt, a pork producer from Wilson, N.C. “Simply making an announcement without understanding the entire supply chain’s ability to meet these requests or the challenges involved are utterly befuddling. We feel it is important to have this first-hand information available to our customers.”
See a video of Hunt's discussion: Pig industry responds to open sow housing.
The Plain survey found that 20.2 percent of sows on operations of 1,000-9,999 sows, 18.9 percent on operations of 10,000-99,999 sows and 16.4 percent on operations of more than 100,000 sows are in open pens for some portion of gestation. When asked about plans to put more sows in open pens, the largest operations indicated that 23.8 percent of their sows would be in them in two years, operations of 10,000-99,999 sows would have 21.3 of their pigs in such pens and operations of 1,000-9,999 sows would have 20.7 percent.
“Given that few sows always are in open housing and that producers may use both individual and group housing, it would be extremely difficult and costly for the pork supply chain to sort, segregate and trace product to meet the requirements of these food companies,” said Hunt. “Regardless, this issue is about giving animals the best care possible, and hog farmers like me know through years of experience that individual housing provides that best care.”
But it is important to note, according to the NPPC, that an operation may use both individual and open pen, or group, housing and that sows on some operations may spend time in both systems.

McDonald's to phase out pig meat from gestation stalls

McDonald's has announced that by 2022 it will no longer by pig meat from any supplier that uses gestation stalls for pregnant sows, following up on its February announcement that its suppliers must begin to phase out the stalls' use.
Within five years, McDonald's will only buy pig meat from suppliers who have committed to phasing out sow stalls' use, and those suppliers will have another five years to make good on that commitment, according to the company. "We value our relationship with our suppliers and our shared commitment to animal welfare," said Dan Gorsky, senior vice president of McDonald's North America Supply Chain Management. "Our approach seeks to build on the work already in place, and we are also sensitive to the needs of the smaller, independent pork producers in phasing out of gestation stalls."
According to McDonald's, it purchases about 1 percent of the total pig meat produced in the U.S.

Denmark developing mobile hospital for sick sows

Folding the floor creates a cart that can be moved by a pallet truck and the sow is either walked on to the cart or lifted on.

A mobile pen under development in Denmark could help solve the problem of where to put a sow that needs to be segregated for special attention. The pen acts both as an ambulance to move sick or injured sows if they cannot walk comfortably and as a temporary isolation area in which they can stay while they recover.
Denmark’s animal welfare rules require that every herd has hospital-pen accommodation equivalent to at least 2.5 percent of the total number of places on the site for sows in group gestation. A minimum of one hospital pen must always be ready for immediate use. Other stipulations state that the floor must have either a rubber mat or straw bedding so it is soft for at least two-thirds of its area. Hospital pens for sows and gilts can hold up to three animals at a time, but always with the appropriate facilities for climate and for feeding and watering.
As a member of the European Union, Denmark also has adopted the EU regulation banning the use of individual stalls to house sows in pregnancy. Any conversion of former stall housing into gestation in groups raises questions of how many places can be fitted into an existing building, even before trying to find some space for hospital pens. The Danish designers of the mobile pen see their idea as a stand-by facility to be the hospital quarters for a single sow. This allows the producer to satisfy the local welfare law on pen provision without needing the allocation of floor area inside a permanent structure.
But the design team of veterinarian Peter Høgedal with pig equipment specialists Peter Kaspersen and Jørn Kirkegaard realised there was another common difficulty if sows needed to be moved due to illness or injury: the sow could be unable to walk and would, therefore, require some form of assistance.




Peter Best

The cart is taken from the gestation house to a location where it can be transformed into a hospital pen.




Multi-purpose mobile pen 

Their proposal is a platform that folds so it can be moved by pallet truck into a position next to the sick sow. She then either walks on board or is rolled on if necessary. Once secured, she is carried out of the house to a position where the platform can begin its transformation into a temporary pen. In its unfolded form the platform changes from a cart only 60 cm wide into a floor measuring 1.9 m x 1.9 m. Raised about 8 cm above the surface on which it rests, this floor is composed of a perforated rubber pad that supplies a soft bed as well as drainage.
Surrounding both the bottom of the hospital pen and one side is a steel frame. Plastic panels are slotted in to be the walls on two sides, but the plan proposed by the designers would see the other two sides contributed by the corner of the building in which the pen was placed. Alternatively, there could be a gate across one end. A third wall of plastic panels would be a further option in non-corner positions. A feed trough and a watering nipple are fixed permanently to the frame, and the only further connection required is to the water supply.
The first prototype of the mobile pen has been under test for the past six months at the Mesing unit of producer Ole Larsen. Although very few sows are so lame that they cannot walk, the facility has already proved useful as the extra hospital pen which can be assembled in seconds when needed. The design works well in principle, say the Danish team members, so the next step will be to produce it commercially for sale to herds wanting a place for their sick sows.