Frequently Asked Questions

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What is this effort about?
This effort is to place a measure on the Nov. 2002 ballot in Florida to limit the confinement of pregnant pigs so they at least have enough room to turn around.

Why do pigs need protection?
Pigs are intelligent, curious animals who deserve more than to be kept in crates where they cannot even turn around.

How are pregnant pigs kept?
Pigs used for breeding in the U.S. are commonly kept in gestation crates - small metal enclosures just two feet wide where the animals cannot even turn around. Unable to exercise or move, the pigs experience muscle and bone weakness which can lead to lameness, and they become neurotic, engaging in repetitive coping behaviors.

Why focus on gestation crates?
Gestation crates are among the cruelest confinement techniques used on farms - both in terms of the intensity of confinement and the duration of confinement. Pregnant pigs commonly live up to 3 or 4 years in these crates, and with the industrialization of pork production, these cruel crates are becoming more and more prevalent.

Why do this in Florida?
Florida's climate is conducive to raising pigs outdoors, and many pig farmers in Florida already raise pigs without using gestation crates.

Are there many factory pig farms in Florida?
There are only a handful of farms in Florida using gestation crates - so this measure will not have a significant economic impact. Besides alleviating the suffering of the pigs currently being confined in gestation crates, this measure will prevent mega hog factories from moving into Florida as they have in North Carolina. We don't want Florida to follow North Carolina's experience where the environment has been damaged, property values have gone down, and the tourist industry has suffered.

Why do farmers use gestation crates?
Gestation crates are used to maximize profitability and efficiency in pork production. In these crates, the animals are treated more as unfeeling commodities than as living, feeling animals.

How will pigs be raised if the gestation crate is illegal?
Most pig farmers in Florida already raise pigs without using gestation crates, so those currently using gestation crates could do the same. In European countries where similar legislation has been enacted, pig farmers have generally gone to a group housing system where the sows are kept together in more spacious conditions.

Will this put farmers out of business?
This measure is targeted at the large factory pig farms who are displacing small family farms across the United States. Not only will this effort protect animals, but it could help protect small farmers from an influx of corporate mega farms in the state of Florida.