Seaboard Named In Pig Mistreatment

The Humane Society of the United States is alleging that pork producers Seaboard Foods and Prestage Farms Inc. are mistreating pregnant pigs on Oklahoma farms by keeping them in so-called “gestation cages.”
The Humane Society’s Paul Shapiro said at an Oklahoma City news conference that the pigs are kept “like parked cars” for months in small cages and are unable to turn around.
Officials with Kansas-based Seaboard and North Carolina-based Prestage did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.
Shapiro said The Humane Society is calling on the companies to stop the use of the cages and instead use more spacious quarters for the pigs.
The Humane Society referenced a video that shows alleged in-humane treatment.
The Oklahoma Pork Council issued a statement Tuesday afternoon regarding the allegations:
“The Oklahoma Pork Council and Oklahoma’s pork producers take seriously our ethical responsibility for the proper care of pigs. Responsible pork producers condemn the mistreatment of any animal. We urge everyone to view the video carefully, however, because some of the practices shown can be taken out of context by those not familiar with livestock production. An example is the use of gestation stalls as one of many sow-housing solutions that, overseen properly by animal care workers, can be beneficial to the animal’s health and safety. Pork producers constantly seek new and better ways to care for their animals.”