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What are Dry Sow Stalls?

Sow stalls are an industry accepted method of housing sows, particularly during the critical times of embryo development in pregnancy, a time when the sow becomes heavy in pig and least active.

A dry sow stall is used to house a gestating (non-lactating) sow during the crucial stage of her pregnancy.

Pig farmers do not believe sow stalls, as regulated by the Code of Practice, compromise welfare.

Why are they used?

While pigs are very social animals, they are also aggressive animals – when housed in pens as a group, they establish an order of dominance. Pigs at the lower end of the pecking order can suffer severe bites from the more dominant animals resulting in subordinates having less access to food. Gestation stalls are one way in which farmers can provide more individual attention to pregnant sows as well as provide protection from dominant pigs.

In the gestation area, sow health is monitored daily. Sows are fed individually and offered water regularly. They can lie down comfortably, stand up or sit and walk a few steps forward and back. The stalls are cleaned daily.

Sow stalls are humane and beneficial to the animals as they improve sow health, feeding, management and efficiency. The main disadvantage of sow stalls is that they restrict exercise opportunities for the sow. Animals can lie down, stand up and move back and forth, they do not have space to walk or turn around. While this system has many benefits, there are potential welfare implications which are being researched.

Stalls allow for the individual feeding and health requirements of sows to be met and protect individual animals from domination by other animals, a regular occurrence when animals are housed in groups.
Sow stalls are used world-wide, but their use has been restricted or prohibited in some places, such as the UK. This has been a costly and difficult experience for farmers with some negative impacts on pig welfare as well. Simply replacing sow stalls with group housing systems is not a cure-all. The management of gestating sows is a specialised skill. Farmers need to be trained in how to introduce new sows into established sow groups in order to avoiding fighting and potential reduction in litter sizes and farrowing rates. Research to address these challenges is underway and funded by the industry.

What are the benefits of sow stalls?

stock people can provide individual attention to pregnant sows as well as provide protection from other pigs;
minimise aggression and competition between sows. Individual dry sow stalls reduce competition for food and prevent fighting or tail and vulva biting;
uniform temperature and protection from the elements;
sows can easily be examined individually for health and treated if necessary. Stalls facilitate daily observation of individual sow appetite, respiratory rate, urination and defecation;
stalls assist in reducing stress to the sow during the early critical stages of pregnancy;
Stalls provide direct removal of dung and urine from the sow, keeping the sows lying area clean, and ensure that the animals are kept free of external and internal parasites.
stalls provide direct removal of dung and urine from the sow, keeping the sows lying area clean, and ensure that the animals are kept free of external and internal parasites.
_nutritional programs can be individually designed for sows that need special attention, as well as medical needs; and
stalls reduce exposure to hazards that result in injuries.

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