Project on the use of communal pens offers several models which can serve as an example to brazil, showing the sectors where investment is needed.
By Gabriala Ferri
If we stop and think about the system, in some ways it is as if we are returning to past methods of pig production - and if this is the case, then why so much fuss? To answer this question, says Rubens Valentini, Infoporc Brasil partner and owner of the Miunça Farm in Brasilia, we have to remember the reasons behind the introduction of gestation crates, particularly with regard to the technical characteristics and economic motivation. It is worth remembering that social behaviour of pigs is competitive and extremely hierarchical; therefore, when it comes to feeding time, there is intense competition which creates unequal consumption among the animals. “A lack of correct nutrition during the gestational period can lead to varied litters in terms of numbers, and heterogeneity in the weight of the newly born piglets. In addition to this, excessive competition during feeding can lead to pregnancy losses and/or an increase in the number of mummified and stillborn piglets”, says Valentini, who for many years has argued in favour of group housing for sows, a system which he himself has employed since 2010. The feed&food team were able to see this for themselves when they visited his farm, as reported in our November 2013 edition in the article called “Technological Tour”. This article highlighted animal welfare concerns which are becoming more and more widespread as people’s earning power increases; people who, with an ever-greater awareness of the issues surrounding the food they consume, are inclined to question the source of this produce.
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