By MEGGIE I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor

AMES, Iowa, — An Iowa State Univer-sity (ISU) study tested the industry water by outlining the differences in housing pregnant pigs in deep-bedded hoop barns versus traditionally used gestation crates.

“In the United States, using a bedded system for gestating sows in hoop barns is relatively unfamiliar,” said Mark Honeymoon, professor of animal science and coordinator of ISU’s research farms.

Traditionally, pregnant sows are kept in individual crates for the majority of their gestation. However, gestation crates have caught heat recently from animal welfare groups, who claim the crates are inhumane. Additionally, some food processors and fast food chains have announced they will not purchase meat from producers who gestate sows in crates.

“What we wanted to do (with this study) was put more choices on the menu for producers looking at alternative ways to house sows,” said Honeymoon. “I think in the future we’ll see more group housing and it could take the form of hoop barns or it could be in the form of pole barns.”

To research a relatively uncommon housing option for producers, Honeymoon and graduate student Pete Lammers conducted a study to look at the impact of raising sows in deep-bedded hoop barns that feature a group atmosphere.

The study showed that gestating sows in a deep-bedded group atmosphere is just as productive and less expensive than gestation barns with the crates.

The major difference in hoop barns versus gestation crates is the cost. Honeymoon said it would cost a producer over $800 per pig to build a barn fit with individual crates. For a producer interested in alternative housing options, a hoop barn costs approximately $550 per pig, which includes individual feeding stalls for every pig.

The feeding stall tool is somewhat unique to the study, and according to Honeymoon, allows the producer to actively monitor individual sow health and nutrition in a group atmosphere.
“We think the feeding stall is fairly important,” he added. “Our sows were fed once a day for 30 minutes in a stall they choose freely. In the feeding stall, the pigs are locked in and a producer has the opportunity to preg-check, vaccinate, breed or treat a sick sow.”

Honeymoon said there are about 2,000 farms in Iowa with deep-bedded hoop barns and 90 percent of the barns are used to finish hogs to market weight.

“There are very few producers actually gestating sows in a deep-bedded group atmosphere,” he added.

“Deep bedded housing is a bigger step away from the traditional way of raising sows. I think we’ll see even more opportunities in niche pork markets for this type of production.