AMES, Iowa – Decisions around sow barn remodeling, reducing sow herd inventory, and adjusting gilt flow are some of the challenges U.S. pork producers face as they explore and consider options to make farms compliant with California’s Proposition 12 requirements. A new resource from Iowa Pork Industry Center offers information for producers who plan to transition their own production.

Iowa State University extension swine specialist Matt Romoser is one of the authors. He said the goal for the publication, Sow Management Considerations with California Proposition 12, was to provide some considerations for producers on how to manage the breeding herd under the guidelines of California Prop 12.

"This fact sheet includes what we know today on how to manage sows under these regulations," he said. "So, whether you're a sow farm manager with no group housing experience, or an owner looking to the future and considering retrofitting or building new, it can be a helpful resource."

Chris Rademacher, associate director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center and ISU extension swine veterinarian; and Laura Greiner, director of Iowa Pork Industry Center and animal science assistant professor are the other authors of this publication.

The four-page publication IPIC 207 is available at no charge from the ISU Extension store.

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IPIC was established in 1994 as a coordinated effort of the colleges of Agriculture (now Agriculture and Life Sciences) and Veterinary Medicine at ISU. Its mission is to promote efficient pork production technologies in Iowa, maintain Iowa's pork industry leadership and strengthen rural development efforts. IPIC focuses its efforts on programs that are integral and complementary to ISU Extension and Outreach. Through IPIC, Iowa producers receive accurate and timely information to make their operations more efficient and profitable.