Large-scale hog farms typically put sows in metal cages for almost their entire lives in the name of efficient pork production. Pennsylvania producer Clemons Food Group is trying a different approach that reduces the time in “sow crates” to 75 days a year — not hog heaven but a step in the right direction, says Modern Farmer.
At farms in south-central Pennsylvania, Clemons puts large groups of sows into pens the size of volleyball courts, with room for the pigs to meander about or nap in open stalls, says Modern Farmer. Micro-transmitters on ear tags allow hogs to get their daily ration of feed. Electronic monitoring enables managers at the 5,000-sow New Hope farm to know when sows are expected to give birth and if workers have noticed health problems.
“Though far from pasture-raised perfection, these farms aim to produce pork affordably, on a large scale, without sacrificing animal welfare,” writes Barry Estabrook, author of “Pig Tales,” in the Modern Farmer article. In part, the “animal-forward practices” are possible because of campaigns for humane treatment of livestock and consumer pressure on food processors to require their supplies to curtail use of sow crates.
When sow crates became an issue, the pork industry said they make it easier for farmers to feed and monitor their animals while reducing mortality among piglets and injuries from sows fighting each other. So-called open housing of sows requires a greater amount of skilled livestock management in an industry that has embraced mechanization.
An official for a food-service company says pork from Clemons carries a higher price “but it’s a price we can afford. To be clear, this is industrial pork and while that’s not a romantic picture, we’re excited to see crates being used so minimally.”