Sleepy Eye–based Christensen Farms & Feedlots Inc. comes under fire as the group "Mercy For Animals" releases an undercover video it says depicts animal abuse.
A "Mercy For Animals" staff member recorded the video while posing as an employee at Christensen Farms from December 2011–March 2012.
Gestation stalls, like the ones used at Christensen Farms, are a standard in the industry, but were the main focus of the undercover video shot by Mercy for Animals. In response to the video, Costco Wholesale Corp. joined a growing list of retailers and restaurants in asking suppliers to phase out the use of small pens for pregnant sows.
The video goes inside a Christensen farms sow barn in Hanska and shows sows in gestation cages as well as other industry practices often criticized by animal welfare groups.
Dave Preisler, president of the Minnesota Pork Producers Association says "Many of the things you saw in the video happen everyday within pork farms, many of the sows are in gestation stalls and it is done to protect the animal for her own good, especially from other sows."
Preisler he says that castration and tail docking is also done for the good of the animal, something the group leaves out of the video.
Preisler says, "Really its purpose is to extort food companies and make them make decisions based on short video snippets."
One of the most disturbing parts of the video is when workers kill sick or injured piglets by slamming them against the floor.
Christensen farms issued a statement saying it decided in February to switch to using carbon dioxide to euthanize sick and injured piglets as an alternative to ``blunt–force trauma.''
At a Minneapolis press conference Mercy for Animals says they commend Cosco's decision and hope other retailers follow suit.
Matt Rice says, "Mercy for animals is now calling on Wal–Mart to follow their lead in taking a stand against animal abuse and require its pork suppliers to phase out cruel gestation crates."
Preisler says a third party panel of vets and animal welfare experts also viewed the video and defended it, saying the panel found no evidence of abuse or neglect.
He added that "Although the panel recommends minor improvements, the report confirms Christensen Farms' dedication to providing quality pig care.
Preisler says that while the industry can always make improvements, farmers care about the welfare of their animals.
Preisler says, "If we don't care of our animals they don't take care of us."
