Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods Inc. will transition all breeding sows in company-owned barns to its Advanced Open Sow Housing System by the end of 2021. Company-owned barns produce approximately 40% of the pigs that Maple Leaf Foods uses annually to produce its branded pork products.
In 2014, Canada’s pork industry committed to ending gestation crate use by 2024. Maple Leaf Foods signed this agreement but set a timeline to convert all its owned Maple Leaf Agri-Farms sow barns to a new Advanced Open Sow Housing System by the end of 2021.
The company’s animal care team studied housing and feeding systems around the world to create the company’s Advanced Open Sow Housing System that creates housing areas with various spaces to support sows’ desires to choose when to play, socialize, eat and rest, the company said in a release.
The open system also helps caregivers observe the sows more readily as they move about, monitor their health more accurately and provide care.
Their housing system offers additional comforts, including electronic sow feeders, cool water misters during the hot summer months, bright LED lighting, windows for natural light and night lights for those sows who choose to feed at night.
“Ensuring the animals in our care experience the best possible environment at Maple Leaf Foods, is the right thing to do and an essential part of our sustainability commitment,” Michael McCain, Maple Leaf Foods president and CEO said in a release. “Our progress in eliminating gestation crates in our sow barns across Canada is a significant milestone as we proudly lead the industry towards a more compassionate approach to animal welfare.”
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Why Training Your Employees is Crucial to Electronic Sow Feeding Success
Precision Feeding: What’s Best for the Sow?
