Thursday, October 25, 2012

What You Might Not Know About Raising Swine

By Lianne Derocco


Raising different kinds of livestock is one of our country's largest industries, whether they are smaller, independent farms or large factory farms. Raising swine is definitely a huge portion of livestock farming, with more than 55 million hogs being raised for market each year. Take a look at the following details about hog farming.

While there are hog farms in just about every state, most of the farms are in the Midwestern portion of the country, especially Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. There are actually more swine in Iowa that humans, so this is obviously a very important industry in that state.

In the United States, pork is second only to beef as a meat choice. However, pork is the most commonly consumed meat in the world overall. In our country, most pork is eaten as ham, followed by sausage and bacon. Every market hog in the United States provides enough edible meat to provide one serving of pork each day for a whole year.

Surprisingly, hogs are not only used for food, but also used in many other products. These products are found particularly in medical products. Hog co-products are used to produce corticosteroids, nitroglycerine, epinephrine and many other drugs. In addition, hog by-products are used in the production of everything from floor wax to matches to antifreeze.

Health and safety concerns should be the top priority at all hog farms. These farmers want to keep their animals free from disease, and there are many ways to go about this process. Separating sick animals, restricting who can come into contact with animals and proper waste management are all important. There are natural and safe products that deal with hog waste that will eliminate crusting, foaming and sludge build-up and even reduce odors and flies. These products are chemical-free, so you won't be adding more pollutants to your farm.

If you currently are searching for swine waste management products, consider the natural and safe ActivatorPlus and AgraSphere products. Both use safe strains of microbes to liquefy that top crust, as well as reduce odors and even improve the nutrient value of your manure so that it can be used for an excellent fertilizer. There are products specially designed for lagoons and also for deep pit systems, and both serve as solutions for agricultural waste issues. AgraSpheres are a maintenance product that should be used throughout the year to prevent any problems from happening, while the ActivatorPlus should be used to eliminate tough top crusting or foaming. A few applications of ActivatorPlus should liquefy crusting and get your lagoon or pit back to a healthier state.




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