© 2007/2008 Ohio Pork Producers Council.All rights reserved.
Why are pigs raised in barns?
Barns protect pigs from extreme temperatures and wild animals. In Ohio cold, snowy, and icy winters can be hard on animals. Heat can also be stressful in the summer. Barns are equipped with furnaces for cold weather and fans, misters and other cooling devices for hot weather. Having control over the temperature inside the barn enables farmers to maintain a consistent temperature range so the animals are always comfortable.
Keeping our animals healthy enables us to limit disease and the use of antibiotics. Barns are a barrier from rodents which may carry disease. We strive to keep our animals healthy and comfortable all year long.
What do pigs eat?
Most pigs in Ohio are fed corn and soybeans which is supplemented with vitamins and minerals. Pigs don't eat table scraps (slop). A pig's diet, or ration, is carefully calculated by a nutritionist. Due to research and our understanding of the animals' needs, often gilts (females) and barrows (males) are fed separate rations.
A very limited number of farms feed by-products such as whey, bread products, and cereal. Feeding this non-traditional diet is highly regulated by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
What is a factory farm?
Although the term factory farm is commonly used, the majority of farms in Ohio, large or small scale are run by families. Ohio ranks 9th in pork production in the nation, but 3rd in the number of hog farms, that's because we have 4,000 farms that are owned and operated by families.
Many family farms have chosen to incorporate as part of their business plan. However, it is still family members that not only make business decisions, but handle day to day chores and responsibilities on the farm.
Barns and farms are bigger because they have to be. Profit margins are tight, and pork producers still want to be able to maintain a decent standard of living and send their kids to college, just like many other parents. Resources which are needed to raise hogs include, land, corn, soybeans, and labor, which are rising in cost. To meet these goals farmers need more volume. Developments in technology have enabled farms to be more efficient, take care of more animals in less space, farm more acres and still do a better job than in generations past.
Barns protect pigs from extreme temperatures and wild animals. In Ohio cold, snowy, and icy winters can be hard on animals. Heat can also be stressful in the summer. Barns are equipped with furnaces for cold weather and fans, misters and other cooling devices for hot weather. Having control over the temperature inside the barn enables farmers to maintain a consistent temperature range so the animals are always comfortable.
Keeping our animals healthy enables us to limit disease and the use of antibiotics. Barns are a barrier from rodents which may carry disease. We strive to keep our animals healthy and comfortable all year long.
What do pigs eat?
Most pigs in Ohio are fed corn and soybeans which is supplemented with vitamins and minerals. Pigs don't eat table scraps (slop). A pig's diet, or ration, is carefully calculated by a nutritionist. Due to research and our understanding of the animals' needs, often gilts (females) and barrows (males) are fed separate rations.
A very limited number of farms feed by-products such as whey, bread products, and cereal. Feeding this non-traditional diet is highly regulated by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
What is a factory farm?
Although the term factory farm is commonly used, the majority of farms in Ohio, large or small scale are run by families. Ohio ranks 9th in pork production in the nation, but 3rd in the number of hog farms, that's because we have 4,000 farms that are owned and operated by families.
Many family farms have chosen to incorporate as part of their business plan. However, it is still family members that not only make business decisions, but handle day to day chores and responsibilities on the farm.
Barns and farms are bigger because they have to be. Profit margins are tight, and pork producers still want to be able to maintain a decent standard of living and send their kids to college, just like many other parents. Resources which are needed to raise hogs include, land, corn, soybeans, and labor, which are rising in cost. To meet these goals farmers need more volume. Developments in technology have enabled farms to be more efficient, take care of more animals in less space, farm more acres and still do a better job than in generations past.
