A Kansas State University swine specialist says that, in the ongoing debate over the use of gestation stalls for pregnant sows, one important point is often overlooked.
Steve Dritz says concern over animal welfare is one of the reasons that producers implemented gestation stalls in the first place.
Dritz—who is a veterinarian—says that in group pens, some sows eat more than they should, while others eat less than they need. And he says gestation stalls also protect the pregnant sows, as they can be aggressive and physically harm one another—something that is prevalent in open pen situations.
Dritz shared his views in this interview with Brownfield’s Ken Anderson.
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This needs to be sent to ALL CORPORATIONS using pork products. I don’t know that it would change anything, because the game that is being played by the animal rights media blitz (under guise of animal welfare) is vilifying animal agriculture to the public.
The final coup is already being attempted against pet animal breeders in the form of the USDA/APHIS proposed rule that is open for public comment until July 16. If that rule goes into effect, despite the *thousands* of opposing comments from animal breeders, organizations, and pet owners, it could eliminate most quality home-based pet animal breeding within a few years. This proposed rule has H$U$ fingerprints all over it, and would be onerous to the point of unconstitutional–but maybe not quite–or at least requiring many thousands of dollars in legal fees to mount a successful legal challenge to it. Agriculture is in the crosshairs too, but pet breeders have been vilified and persecuted for a long time, so that the AR industry can refine the process of effectively eliminating animal use in our generation.