Saturday, November 16, 2013

The Whole Hog: Facts About Hog Farming

By Lianne Derocco


Getting into the business of hog farming may be new to some people but it is in fact a common way of life for many people in the United States as well as in some other parts of the world who are into livestock-raising. More than 70,000 hog farms exist in the U.S. and the state of Iowa produces the most pork. About 120 million pigs are being raised and produced in the U.S. yearly and more than 19 million of these are from Iowa. So if these figures alone have already set off an interest for you; here are a few other tidbits about hog farming.

Ham and bacon are only a few of the commonly known food products sourced out from pigs. It may be uncommon to us but it is true that some non-edible parts of the pig are essential components for several other products. You will be able to find shampoo, gelatin, paint, candles and medicines containing ingredients from pig parts. So simply put, pigs are highly popular and important livestock as they can be source of a variety of useful products thus the importance of hog farming.

As for hog farming, do not think that there is only one kind that exists - where hogs are being taken care of from birth up to the time it is ready for processing. Hog farming actually comes in different kinds where some farms concentrate only in taking care of newborn pigs and their business is to sell them right after being weaned. Other farms start raising hogs upon buying weaned pigs and make it their business to raise them to one day sell when they become ready for processing. Of course there are still hog farmers who keep a farm of pigs from birth up to processing.

Hog farms obviously produce a good amount of waste which is either stored in a waste lagoon or a waste pit. Waste containment systems are crucial on hog farms, but often there are problems lurking about such as crusting and the build-up of sludge on the bottom of the pit or lagoon. There is also foaming which is one risky problem as in this case, it can be flammable and has even been the cause of explosions. It is a challenge for all hog raisers to maintain a clean and safe environment for the hogs because producing healthy hogs is after all the main purpose of hog farming.

There are hog waste treatment solutions available for use but before you choose one for your farm, be sure that you use a product that is natural and effective in preventing problems including sludge, crusting and foaming. Agra Sphere or Lagoon Agra Sphere may be more than qualified for the job. Apart from effectively preventing problems you are also sure to find that the presence of flies and odors are reduced.

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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