“Do your best, until you know better… and then do that!”

Did you know, that the Oklahoma State Fair (located in Oklahoma City, OK) and the Tulsa State fair (located in Tulsa, OK) Both have “Barnyard Birthing Centers”? These attractions show off an array of baby animals and many of these animals give birth on site. These attractions are not only adorable, but also educational to the public in teaching about how farm and food productions animals are born.  These Barnyard Birthing Centers are staffed by members of the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) and as such, one would assume that the animals involved would receive appropriate care before and during their time on display…. However, specifically for the pigs involved in these Barnyard Birthing Centers, that is sadly NOT the case. 

Did you know that the sows (mother pigs) that are brought to these exhibits are provided by companies such as Seaboard Foods? This company specifically, based in Oklahoma, produces pork that is sold to many places world wide, but a significant amount of their products are shipped overseas to China and Japan. This company owns more than 330,000 sows and breeds year round in their breeding factories, where these breeding sows live out their lives in gestation crates. 

Do you know what gestation crates are? Gestation crates are cages that house a single pig to keep them separate from all other pigs. Pigs are placed into gestation crates for the entirety of their gestational period, which is about 16 weeks, or 4 months, long. These crates are barely larger than the size of the pig…. This means that for the entirety of this 4 month gestation, the mother pigs are unable to move beyond simply lying, sitting, or standing. They are unable to walk, turn around, or have any other normal animal behaviors.  In factory situations such as that at Seaboard Farms, once they have given birth, sows are quickly re-inseminated… which means that 4 month time frame starts all over again. Due to their breeding practices, Seaboard knows almost to the day when these sows will give birth. The mother pigs are chosen by their planned due dates, transported directly into farrowing crates (or birthing crates), and shipped to the fair. If a sow is late, they are quickly injected with hormones to cause them to give birth at the right time, while at the fair. 

Did you know that gestation crates have been outlawed in 11 different US states including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, New Jersey, California and Massachusetts? Outside of the United States, they have been banned country wide in Sweden and the United Kingdom. Canada has also been taking steps to try and outlaw this practice and are working to outlaw gestation crates by 2026. These states and countries listened to the veterinarians in the industry who came forward and said that these practices were NOT acceptable, were detrimental to the wellbeing of the animals, and ultimately detrimental to meat production due to injury and infections the pigs acquired due to these living environments. 

We would like to know why the OVMA is supporting this attraction when they DO KNOW the practices that Seaboard uses, and the lives these pigs live outside of the fair attractions? . Of course, at the fair, the farrowing/birthing crates are clean, santitary, and the sows are made to look perfectly at ease. However, the OVMA knows, and now you know as well, that these pigs live an unimaginably sad existence. By supporting this exhibit, the OVMA is approving of these practices.

There is a saying that goes “Do your best, until you know better… and then do that!” The Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association KNOWS BETTER…. We believe it is time that they DO better. 

It is important for people to know where their food comes from and how it is produced… but why is it necessary for food animals to be tortured and live in such awful environments? Especially when there are other more humane and viable options? Why are the vets that we trust with our animals (both domestic pets, and food production animals) condoning these inhumane and archaic production practices?

Oklahoma Citizens need to start asking these questions and DEMAND that the OVMA DO BETTER, END the Barnyard Birthing Center,  and REFUSE to allow factory farm sows to be put on display at the Oklahoma State and Tulsa State fair.  #EndTheBarnyardBirthingCenter #FreeOurFood #DoBetterOVMA #DontTortureOurFood #OKStateFair #TulsaStateFair