If you are among the legions of pork producers struggling to decide if and when to move from individual gestation stalls to some type of group housing, the turnaround stall introduced in the '90s might just be the ticket.

Over 20 years ago, under the guidance of animal scientist Stan Curtis, researchers at the University of Illinois experimented with a modified stall design that was 7 ft. long, 22 or 24 in. wide in the front two-thirds, then flared out to 48 in. at the back. The idea was that a sow or gilt would learn to wriggle her body into the rear portion of the stall so she could turn around. The 250-to 300-lb. gilts soon figured out how to turn around in the limited space, Curtis explains.

Richard Balsbaugh with Moorman Mfg. Co. soon became intrigued with the concept, and suggested it would be much easier for the sows and gilts to turn around if a portion of the stall's sides could swing freely from side to side. The adaptation was soon made, leaving about 2.5 ft. of the front dividers as stationary, with the remaining 4.5 ft. of the dividers mounted on brackets so they could swing in and out. When swung to the maximum width, the rear portion of the stall was 65-72 in. wide, depending on how loosely the adjustable chain on the back of the gate was set (see diagram).

Early research reports caught the eye of a few creative pork producers who began tinkering with various stall widths and the lengths of the pivoting dividers.

Balsbaugh, in collaboration with Illinois researchers and Ian Taylor, also with Moorman Mfg., eventually standardized the materials and dimensions — 2.3-ft. fixed (open bar) divider, 4.5-ft. swinging gate divider — and patented the MoorComfort design in April 1990. The patent was transferred to Hog Slat, Inc. when they acquired MoorMan's Livestock Equipment division. The patent has expired, but the rights to manufacture the stall remain with Hog Slat, Balsbaugh explains.

Thoughts about Turnarounds

The sow zone, as Curtis refers to the basic 2 × 7-ft. turnaround design, requires the same space as standard gestation stalls. “But when a sow spreads the sides to their fully splayed positions, she increases her floor space by more than 70% — from 14 sq. ft. to about 24 sq. ft. — very near the European Communities' regulations requirement of 25 sq. ft. for Parity 2 or older pregnant sows,” he says.

Widely recognized for his research in animal behavior and well-being, Curtis remains an enthusiastic advocate of the turnaround design, and he thinks it merits another look.

A search for pork producers who had experience with the turnaround stall design turned up one in Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri, respectively. All agreed that the turnaround stalls definitely had strengths and weaknesses.

Pat Weber of Lawler, IA, worked with 2 × 7-ft., stationary gestation stalls for 15 years and spent seven years managing sows in the MoorComfort stalls.

The 1,800-sow, farrow-to-nursery Multi-Pig complex was built in west-central Iowa in 1974. Weber joined the firm in 1976. By the early '90s, the original stalls were about worn out and the timely introduction of the MoorComfort stalls caught their eye. Over the course of a year, 720 gestation stalls were replaced with MoorComfort stalls.

“They were not a cheaper alternative,” Weber explains. “I believe they were $25-30 more expensive than a conventional stall, but we decided to be more proactive about animal welfare because we thought it would eventually become a bigger issue.”

Veteran purebred seedstock producer and National Pork Board member Everett Forkner of Richards, MO, had graduated from outdoor sow lots to Cargill-style, open-front breeding-gestation facilities. By the mid-'90s, Forkner had his fill of battling the elements, so plans for a new breeding-gestation barn were on the drawing board. The new barn was equipped with 22 × 84-in. conventional gestation stalls and 8 × 8-ft. breeding pens, plus 18 custom-made, 24-in. × 9-ft. MoorComfort stalls and a few 30-in. × 9-ft. custom-made turnaround stalls for large herd boars.

“When we finally got around to putting sows in stalls, I very quickly decided this was so much better than anything I'd ever experienced. I was able to give sows individual attention and score sows for condition, and our conception and farrowing rates improved. I am thoroughly convinced that a sow is much better off in her own little cubicle, even if she can't turn around,” he says.

Still, Forkner believes more welfare-friendly sow housing options must be sought. “Perception is reality and the consumer is always right,” he states. “The reason we will never win the gestation stall battle is because if you ask anyone, in any walk of life, whether or not sows should have the freedom to turn around, logically they will say: ‘well, yeah, I think they should.’ It just doesn't sound right that she can't.”

See associated Figure 1

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