Open Housing System Gives Sows the Freedom to Roam
Traditionally, pig producers confined pregnant sows in gestation crates where their freedom to move, socialize and eat freely was limited.
We decided we could do better
After extensive research and visits to sow barns in other countries, we took the best of what we saw and developed our unique Advanced Open Sow Housing system that gives our sows the freedom to roam, feed, socialize, eat and sleep when they want.
It’s simply a better and more humane way to house our sows.
All of our sows are housed in our Advanced Open Sow Housing system!
Our Advanced Open Sow Housing system
How we’ve transitioned our sow barns to our unique open housing system.
Take a step inside our Advanced Open Sow Housing system.
What’s the difference between all the sow housing systems?
Let’s find out about
Conventional sow housing system
Traditionally, Canadian and U.S. pig producers use a crate style system to house their sows.
That means a sow lives a life of confinement, where she cannot turn around, exercise or socialize with other sows. As a result, she is prone to injury due to lack of movement and has limited interaction and bonding with other sows and caregivers.
Loose sow housing system
A small percentage of the industry in Canada and the U.S. has adopted a system that allows sows more freedom during pregnancy. In these systems, sows are confined until pregnancy is confirmed, after which they are housed in groups.
For the sow, that means the majority of her life is spent free to eat, play, socialize and exercise when she chooses.
The Maple Leaf Foods Advanced Open Sow Housing system
Our unique open housing approach significantly reduces the time a sow spends in a stall compared to other systems. We provide open housing following breeding and throughout pregnancy in an environment where sows are free to roam, feed and socialize.
In our system, the sow has the freedom to explore her surroundings, improved well-being and health, better leg and joint health due to increased freedom to move and exercise, more social interaction with other sows, more interaction with caregivers, and better nutrition due to individual feeding programs.
Sows spend a very limited time (approximately seven to nine days) in stalls for breeding to ensure their safety and the caregiver safety, and to allow our sows time to rest after their piglets are weaned.
How we’ve improved our open sow housing
- Electronic sow feeders
- Toys and other enrichments to encourage natural behaviours
- Enhanced flooring design for foot and leg health and pig comfort
- Environmentally-friendly materials and LED lights
- Improved ventilation
- Windows for plenty of natural light
- Water misters for comfort on hot days
Animal Care Performance Report
We’re documenting our animal care goals and measuring our progress. See how we’re doing in our 2022 Animal Care Performance Report.
Introducing our inaugural
2022 Integrated Report
Our new Integrated Report builds on nearly a decade of sustainability reporting and presents a more holistic view of our Company. We continue to evolve our reporting process every year to meet changes in the reporting and regulatory landscape and growing demands from our stakeholders.