Hormel Foods Discontinuing Use of Small Metal Crates

Hormel Foods Corporation's company-owned farms will phase out the use of small metal crates for confining pregnant hogs by the end of 2017. In an on-line statement, Hormel says the breeding sows at its company-owned farms in Arizona will be transitioning to group housing by the end of summer this year and at its farms in Colorado and Wyoming before 2018.

Humane Society of the United States President and CEO Wayne Pacelle said in a statement, – this decision brings us closer to the day when the cruel confinement of pigs in gestation crates will be a bygone era for the entire pork industry. We thank Hormel for making this decision and urge the company to also apply it to any contract pig breeders it may use. According to HSUS, Hormel purchases hogs from more than 775 independent pork producers.

Pacelle says HSUS is also urging Hormel’s competitors such as Tyson, Triumph, Prestage and Seaboard to – stop lagging behind and get on the gestation-crate free pathway. HSUS is using its stock-holder leverage to press the issue at corporate annual meetings.