284 Prop 12 and Its Implications for Future On-farm Animal Welfare in the United States

Abstract

Abstract California’s Proposition 12, also known as the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative, will go into full effect starting in January 2022. This measure changes the minimum space requirement for egg-laying hens, calves raised for veal, and breeding sows within the state of California. These changes include housing that provides 1 to 1.5 square feet of floor space per hen within a cage-free system, 43 square feet of floor space per veal calf, and 24 square feet of floor space per sow. In addition, Proposition 12 would require producers to move the sows from gestation pens into farrowing crates for a maximum of 5 days before they are due to farrow. This measure also prohibits producers outside of California from importing their eggs, veal, or pork into the state unless they meet these minimum housing requirements. The goal of these requirements is to ensure that they animal can lie down, stand up, turn around, and fully extend their limbs without touching the sides of their stalls or another animal. While the intent of this new housing requirement may allow for a greater freedom of movement, animal welfare concerns are still prominent for group housing. For breeding sow, such concerns include injuries caused by social aggression, and, abnormal or harmful behaviors related to feed restriction. These welfare concerns can be addressed when considerations are given to the group composition (e.g., age and size of sows), pen mixing practices (e.g., pre or post breeding), feeding schedule [e.g., collective (trough, floor fed) or individual (electronic sow feeding, free access stalls)], and, pen structural quality (e.g., flooring, enrichment). Given that California represents approximately 15 percent of the American pork market, this measure will have considerable economic and ethical implications related to barn renovations, animal care staff training, and husbandry practices for the entire U.S. pork industry.