Monday, November 25, 2013

From Snout To Tail: Facts About Raising Hogs

By Lianne Derocco


The United States is home to many hog farms and is one of the world's leading producers of pork. There are more than 70,000 farms in the country that produce hogs or pigs, and Iowa is the state that produces the most. In fact, almost 20 million of the 120 million hogs raised in the U.S. come from Iowa. Other big producers include Minnesota, Missouri, Indiana and Illinois. However, just about every state has a few hog farms. Here are a few more interesting bits of trivia about hogs and hog farms.

The commonly produced food products from pigs are bacon and ham, as well as a variety of sausages and other products. But what many don't know is that there are still several other products which can be brought about by the non-edible parts of the pigs. There are shampoos, paint, candles, some medicine and much more are partly made using components derived from the pig. In short, it can be a good conclusion that pigs are highly popular given their usefulness in producing a wide variety of products used by people daily.

When it comes to hog farming, it is wrong to think that the only kind exists in the form of one raising hogs from birth up to its processing. Some hog farmers make it their business to actually raise hogs when they are but newborn and then let them go and put them out for sale after weaning. On some farms, hog raisers buy those weaned pigs and then take care of them until the time when they are ready to be processed thus the selling takes place. This is not to disregard of course more intricate farms which care for hogs from birth up until the day of their processing.

What a hog farm typically needs is a deep pit system for waste containment or what we commonly call as waste lagoon. Just as these waste containment systems are essential in hog farms, problems such as crusting and sludge build-up need to be addressed as well in order to maintain a healthy place for your hogs. One other problem to deal with is "foaming" which in fact can be risky because it is flammable. Remember that part of the difficult work put into hog farming is being able to maintain healthy hogs and it can be secured through a clean and safe environment.

Before you jump into any hog waste treatment solution you find available out there, try to consider ones which are natural and effective in helping you resolve problems with sludge, crusting and foaming in your farm. What may be more than just qualified is the Agra Sphere or the Lagoon Agra Sphere. You are sure to find your problems eliminated and even find that flies and unwanted odor diminished.

If you already have a crust built up on your waste pit or lagoon, a product such as Activator Plus can be used to eat away at this tough top layer. There is also Lagoon Activator for waste lagoons. Once the crust has liquefied, continual treatment with Agra Sphere can keep this problem from occurring in the future. Both of these products are easy to use and contain no chemicals so they are a safe addition to your hog farm.




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