Saturday, July 6, 2013

Hog Farm Types And Their Purpose

By Lianne Derocco


Pork production has always been in such high demand in nearly all parts of the globe and this is a fact that should be dealt with by farmers. It is common knowledge that the one type of food that people love to eat most is that which is based on pork. If one were to roam around and check out the dinner tables, one definitely would find pork in many of these. This is the reason why many pig farmers are always on extra efforts to produce more and meet the rising demands of the market.

Pork has always been known as one of the most frequently eaten meats in many countries all over the world. When it comes to popularity, it is actually tops, surpassing the likes of chicken, beef, and turkey. Since its demand has been very high, even in many Asian countries, hog farm owners are constantly trying to increase their production. In order to do this, they have to deal with some problems that normally arise in managing such farms, such as those that are related to health of the animals and to sanitation.

It is a fact that the United States is one of the largest pork eaters in the world. Because of this, it is only expected that this country would have many kinds of farms in operation. In fact, the US pig farms are not only catering the local market but those of the other countries as well. It is after all one of the world's top exporter of the said product. Of the many kinds that are in operation though, it is the farrow-to-finish farms that are the most comprehensive in terms of production.

Farrow-to-nursery farms are those that breed and foster young pigs until they reach the weight of 50 pounds more or less. Such farms actually require so much more attention from the breeders. These also may need some equipment that is exclusively meant for their purpose. On the other hand, the farrow-to-wean farm is only meant to breed the animals. As soon as the pigs are 15 pounds are weaned, the said farm would sell these to other farms or to the food processing plants.

Unless these are sold to the processing plants, the pigs from the farrow-to-wean farms are delivered to the wean-to-finish farms. Normally, the wean-to-finish farms would acquire pigs that are already about 15 pounds. The said pigs are then raised until they are big enough for the market. Once they are already at a marketable weight, these are slaughtered made ready for delivery. Finishing farms are those that procure feeder pigs that are already 40 pounds or more. These are the ones that sell the pigs to the end-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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