(Reuters) - The head of the Humane Society of the United States is running for a seat on the board of directors of Tyson Foods Inc, the latest move by the largest U.S. animal protection group in its fight stop the use of confining stalls for housing pregnant sows.
Humane Society President and Chief Executive Wayne Pacelle will urge Tyson to commit to a time frame for eliminating the confinement of sows in gestation crates, the group said in a statement on Tuesday.
Activist investor Carl Icahn has agreed to advise Pacelle in his campaign but has warned that the fight will be difficult, the society said.
A Tyson spokesman could not immediately comment on Pacelle's plan. In the past, the company has said it is committed to humane animal treatment at all stages of food production, and expects the same from farmers who supply products to it.
Gestation crates are typically metal enclosures, about 7 feet long and 2 feet wide, in which a breeding sow is housed for much of her adult life.
(Corrects spelling of Pacelle throughout)
(Reporting By Brad Dorfman; editing by John Wallace and Gerald E. McCormick)
