E.B. White, intrepid chronicler of the life of pigs in Charlotte’s Web, would applaud the passing of SB202 in the House Ag Committee on Wednesday. The bill, sponsored by Representative Kathleen Curry(D) and Senator Jim Isgar(D), gives pregnant sows a group housing set up, allowing them room to live comfortably with their piglets. Veal calves are provided housing in which they can stand, lay down, and turn around without touching their living quarters.

Pork Producers worked with the State Department of Agriculture to craft a bill responsive to consumer demand for better treatment of their animals. Even so, the bill gives producers ten years to transition from an individual stall system for sows to a communal housing environment. The Colorado Pork Producers Council stated that “we see from consumer direction that this is required. It has been a group effort and a long deliberative process to create this bill. It will require extensive training to get employees to deal with sows in a group housing system.”

Jose Rojas, a pork producer from Otis, CO with 30,000 sows, stated that the “issue of sow housing is not unusual for me. In December, ’07, Pork Producers announced a voluntary phase out of individual gestation stalls for pregnant sows.”

Veal calves have traditionally been tethered in their stalls, not allowed to move up or down or around. With SB08-202, veal calves will be given enough room to stand or lie down and turn around. Representative Wes McKinley asked if the bill would cover calves that are not veal calves. The Colorado Farm Bureau responded that while the bill doesn’t cover non-veal calves, those animals are generally kept with their mothers and are not subject to the same housing environment as veal calves.

Jerry Wilkins of the Colorado Egg Producers stated that his organization is looking at ways to house hens more comfortably. His group is responding to consumer demand as well. Egg producers have now put together an advisory committee to look at best management practices for housing hens based on “good science.”

Representative Buffie McFayden(D) confirmed consumer pressure to give comfortable living conditions for sows and calves. “I would rather have this change as a statute than a constitutional change.”

Tags: calves, Colorado Bill, Colorado House Agriculture Committee, Colorado State SB08-201, pigs, sows, veal

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