Next stage, pen farrowing and branded product
"You always have to have a new goal,” Gerbert Oosterlaken, a pork producer from Biers, Holland, told a delegation of American visitors this week. “The pig farmer’s goal is never really reached.”
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Keep sows cool, comfortable and productive
Summer always presents a challenge to sow productivity and this year’s early exposure to high temperatures could raise the bar in terms of keeping sows cool. A comfortable sow is a productive sow.
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Sonic Drive-In joins gestation stall-free list
Sonic- America’s Drive-In will join the growing list of U.S. food retailers and restaurants that have announced their intention of accepting pork products only from suppliers that do not use gestation-sow stalls. The company has about 3,500 drive-ins in the United States.
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Add Cracker Barrel to the list
On Thursday, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store joined the growing list of food companies that want their pork supplies to come from systems that do not use gestation-sow stalls. The restaurant chain announced that it will begin formulating plans to source its pork from such operations.
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Brumm Speaks Out: An interesting question at Expo
At the World Pork Expo last week the hot topic of conversation (other than corn condition ratings and pig price expectations) was the ongoing gestation housing debate.
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Hog Outlook: 17% of sows in open pens
Lately, there have been a few restaurant chains saying they will require, at some time in the future, all of their pork to come from farms that use open pen gestation facilities. At the request of the National Pork Producers Council, I have just completed a survey of 70 large hog firms which have 3.6 million sows (roughly 62.6% of all U.S sows).
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Live from WPX 2012: Dr. Ron Plain takes on gestation stalls
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Dr. Ron Plain, University of Missouri agricultural economist, discusses the debate over the use of gestation-sow stalls and how the move away from the housing system could harm both pigs and consumers.
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Sow housing costs from a lenders’ perspective
Speaking from a lender’s perspective, Mark Greenwood, senior vice president AgStar Financial Services, pointed out there are concerns regarding financing, costs and return on investment associated with converting gestation-sow housing from stalls to a group system.
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Kroger turns up the heat on gestation housing
The United States’ No. 1 traditional grocery chain, Kroger Co., has announced its commitment to sourcing pork from suppliers that eliminate the use of gestation-sow stalls.
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Minnesota Nutrition Conference, Sept. 18-19
The 73rd Minnesota Nutrition Conference will provide a forum for feed industry professionals to update their knowledge of beef, dairy, poultry, swine and equine nutrition. Speakers will share the latest concepts in livestock feeding.
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NPPC disappointed with McDonald’s decision
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is not happy with McDonald’s decision to move forward with a 2022 deadline requiring its pork suppliers to end the use of gestation-sow stalls.
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- Corn and soybean prices continue to retrace 2012 drought rally
- Swine virus confirmed in Iowa, Indiana hog herds
- USDA says has detected virus in Iowa hog population
- Premium Standard Farms Founder Dies Unexpectedly
- Commentary: GMOs: How do I hate thee?
- Weather report: Rain spreads across the Corn Belt
