Tyson Foods asks its hog farmers to adopt new methods of raising, monitoring and euthanizing animals, says it will increase supplier inspections in 2014

Nevin Barich

SPRINGDALE, Arkansas , January 9, 2014 (press release) – Tyson Foods has outlined measures the company is taking on hog raising practices in a letter sent January 8, to the hog farmers who supply us. These steps are being taken as part of our ongoing animal well-being program and reflect input we’ve received from our Animal Well-Being Advisory Panel, customers, farmers and industry experts. They also reflect our continuing efforts to balance the expectations of consumers with the realities of today’s hog farming business.

As noted in the letter, we’re doing the following:

1-Increasing the number of third party sow farm audits conducted through our FarmCheck ™ program

2-Urging hog producers to use video monitoring in their sow farms to increase oversight and decrease
biosecurity risks

3-Encouraging hog producers to stop using manual blunt force as a primary method of euthanizing sick or injured piglets

4-Supporting the use of pain mitigation (such as anesthetic or analgesic) for tail docking and castration of piglets

5-Urging hog farmers to improve housing for pregnant sows by focusing on the quality and quantity of space provided, including urging all future sow barn construction or remodeling to allow for pregnant sows of all sizes to stand, lie down, stretch their legs and turn around.

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