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Sows in steel crates.
(Winnipeg) - Hog Watch Manitoba has learned of a
recent incident in which all of the 1500 pigs in one barn suffocated when the
ventilation system failed. Most pigs raised in this province live in closed barns on slatted floors
above pits containing their own urine and feces. This creates high levels of
ammonia and sulfur dioxide. If the ventilation system in the barn fails the
buildup of noxious gases in combination with lack of oxygen causes suffocation
within a couple of hours.
“This is simply one more example of the inhumane
conditions that we are forcing these animals to live in” says Vicki Burns, Hog Watch Manitoba. “We have contacted Manitoba Pork to ask
for information about this incident but have received no response to date. Without
cooperation of industry we are not able to determine what caused this problem
but it may be related to the deterioration of fire safety as the alarm system
obviously failed.”
Hog Watch Manitoba is calling on the industry to significantly
change the way animals are housed. If the animals were housed in open air barns
on straw rather than slatted floors above pits containing their own waste, these
horrible deaths would not have occurred.
Hog Watch Manitoba is a coalition of farmers,
environmentalists, friends of animals and concerned public who are promoting a
more sustainable way of raising pigs in Manitoba.
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For More Information Contact:
Fred Tait, 204-252-2153
