Why do farmers keep sows in stalls?
Individual housing allows for individual care. Should an animal require treatment, she can easily be monitored and cared for in a stall. Stalls also help to protect pregnancy, especially in the early stages of fetus development. Stalls protect sows from one another. Just like most wild animal species, a dominant leader is formed within a herd, and a hierarchy follows. The “boss sow” can often bully and injure less powerful females. An example would be hogging the feed from smaller or weaker animals. Stalls are a product of many years of work to improve farming techniques. Farmers did not move pigs from pastures directly into stalls; they recognized an opportunity for improvement, thus today’s production systems have developed. Barns equipped with stalls are not the cheapest option; this expense is justified with improved animal care and efficiency. Stalls require less physical labor than traditional systems that involve much more hand work. Stalls are not the only option for housing so
