Friday, June 7, 2013

The Many Kinds Of Pig Farms

By Lianne Derocco


If there is one sector in the food industry that could be considered as the largest in most parts of the world, it should be that of the pork producers. It is obvious that many people eat food that is based on pork. In fact, most of the favorites that are found in dinner tables almost everywhere would include those that are basically pork. This alone should clarify that the demand for this type of food continues to be high, encouraging pig farm owners to boost their production as much as possible.

Even if you roam around, you would surely notice that pork is the kind of meat that is most commonly eaten in many countries. It cannot be denied that it is the most popular of meats, overwhelming other favorites such as chicken, turkey, and beef. With the ever rising demand, many hog farm owners always make it a point to boost their production. As they attempt to do so, they would have to deal with several issues that need to be taken care of, especially those that are attributed to the health of the pigs and sanitation.

The United States has a population that is largely made of pork eaters. Therefore it is not surprising to see that there are many types of hog farms that exist in the country. Such farms do not just cater to the local consumers though since many of these actually cater to the international market. The country is actually known as an exporter of such product. There are many types of hog farms in the country but it is farrow-to-finish that is considered to be the most comprehensive when it comes to production.

Farms that breed and take care of piglets until they are already 50 pounds in weight each are called farrow-to-nursery farms. These definitely need the attention of the farm owners or managers. Aside from this, special equipment may also be necessary. A farrow-to-wean farm is only for breeding the pigs. Once the pigs are already 15 pounds and once these are weaned, the said farm would make these available to other farms.

Wean-to-finish farms are those that buy or procure the products of farrow-to-wean farms. The normal practice of such farms is to get those that are already about 15 pounds from the latter. Once the said animals are already in their hands, the said farms would raise them further until they reach the weight that is already marketable. The pigs are then slaughtered and prepared for the market. Finishing farms procure feeder pigs that are usually 40 pounds and above. These prepare the pigs for the market.

Hog waste management is a perennial concern that hog farm owners would have to deal with very seriously. Fortunately, there are many types of solutions that are already made available to them. AgraSphere is one of these. AgraSphere is a swine waste solution that is not only easy to apply but is also safe and natural as it treats top-level crusting, odors, sludge and other waste lagoon problems. It contains no chemicals and relies only on naturally occurring bacteria to reduce hog waste problems.




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