Illinois Farm Families Blog

I admit I did not know what to expect when visiting the Ward family farm, we have all seen the media coverage of the horrific scenes from pig farms. I ended up learning a lot and really enjoyed the experience.  The Wards were very open and willing to share all their knowledge about farming and how their farm is run. Though the Ward’s keep their pigs in climate controlled barns, for many reasons I still do not agree with keeping pigs indoors their entire lives. 

While speaking with the farmers, the representative from Illini Farms and the representative from the slaughter house the topic of GMOs and organics was discussed many times and the discussion often ended by them saying that there is no visible difference in GMO and non-GMO food and that they all feed it to their families and think it is safe. In these discussions the research showing that our bodies can detect the difference between GMO and non-GMO foods was never mentioned. 

Mike Woltmann from Illini Farms presented us with a slide show and in it he educated the group about breed to wean farms. From that discussion I learned that I am not in agreement with those practices. The sow’s lives at a breed to wean farm consist of artificial insemination, being put into a small pen to have her piglets, nurse them for 21 days and then repeating that process continually for a few years until she is sent to market but not the regular market because her meat is now not as good, her meat is now only used for sausage and the like. 

The Ward’s veterinarian and slaughter house representative explained how the withdraw times of antibiotics and random testing done at the slaughter house ensures that there are no antibiotics in the pigs system at time of slaughter. I do believe that to be true but have also read many scientific research studies that conclude the use of antibiotics in livestock creates antibiotic resistant bacteria, which is being passed to humans when they consume the meat.   

 While I may disagree with a lot of the practices used on the Ward’s farm their family farm is run with passion and the Wards care for the pigs using the methods that they believe to be the best. Seeing how the Wards farm is run gave me a brighter look at conventional farming in Illinois and if I were to buy conventional pig meat I would want it to be from the Ward’s farm.

5 Things I Learned or Experienced on the Ward Family hog farm:

1. The farmer himself walked us thru the entire farm and explained what happens from the time the piglet arrives to the time they are sent to slaughter.
2. Whether I agree with the practices of this farm or not, the farmers do think that they are doing what is best for the pigs.
3. I experienced the smell of waste produced from thousands of pigs, it is an awful smell and I can’t imagine it not being toxic to those inhaling it.
4. I learned about the breed to wean farms and that artificial insemination is the process they use for “mating” them.
5. A representative from a slaughter house explained how the pigs that come to his facility are processed.

Amy Buffardi, Darrien

Unfortunately, also our society has a hatred of large scale producers, and, thus,  the efficient, safe, scientific way to effectively raise hogs on a large scale to help Americans continue their love with bacon.

Seriously.

I just read on Prairie Farmer's Facebook page that Purdue University's Chris Hurt (who has been on Purdue's faculty since 1981, teaching mainly undergraduate livestock and meat marketing...who I am considering credible, because, for pity's sake, he had to do his thesis on something in regards to MEAT!), projects that "by this spring the U.S. hog industry will have lost $3 billion in equity."

Prairie Farmer's reaction: "Ouch!"

Agreed.

3 BILLION.

As in 3 billion dollars. 

And here's the deal... high feed costs (which bodes well for a grain farmer, not so well for those who buy corn) are already causing crazy costs for those who produce hogs. While the demand  for pork is still high, there are still folks out there who don't understand the hog industry who are fighting for a lot of the mandates and crushing regulations and even refusal to purchase hogs from confinement operations. Generally speaking, these mandates and, well, crazy loud anti-confinement people base their opinion on emotion, not science.

Restaurants like Burger King, Chipolte, etc. are refusing to buy hogs raised in gestational crates (which don't google that, ask a real hog farmer what it means...because I did google its definition and boy do I regret it.). You've probably heard it, and that's fine to still go there, we're just a little ouchy about it because that means that my father in law has lost out on business because of these folks. 

Is it probably not humane to put someone in a crate, yes. But, it's not A HUMAN. It's a HOG, who, research says, likes the feeling of being closed in. There's a science to it, and I don't have much knowledge in it, but knowing what my father in law does to keep his hogs safe, healthy, and happily producing so you can eat your bacon with your eggs (which, don't even get me started on eggs...oy), I know that he is doing nothing but the best for his animals, often times at the sacrifice of his comfort for his hogs. And mine..because sometimes he's late for a family dinner because of chores, and I get cranky when I'm hungry.

Honestly, friends, let's let the experts do the mandating. You don't see me walking around telling a surgeon, where to cut. I won't be fixing any plumbing issues...that's for a plumber. I try to not even tell my hairdresser what to do...she went to school to cut hair...I just have it, what do I know about cutting it?  We all are good at something, and most likely passionate about it, so let those who are truly in the thick of it make the decisions.

That way, you can have your bacon, whether you sprinkle it on your salad or your ice cream!

Emily Webel
Emily, a town girl plunked out in the middle of nowhere, chronicles the surprises she's found living life with her husband and four children on a working grain and livestock farm in Farmington, IL. Confessions of a Farm Wife: The Good, TheBad, and The Dirty Truth of Life on the Gravel Road allows Emily, a former teacher, to use her educational expertise to share the truth about food and farmers to consumers everywhere. As a Farm Mom with the Illinois Farm Families campaign, Emily has enjoyed one on one experiences with city moms, fielding questions from fashion to fertilizer. 

Photo courtesy of The 50's Diner in Peoria.

What if I told you that twice a day, I tie my four-year-old to a chair and leave her there for an hour?

No matter how she pleads or cries or protests, she has to be tied down. Some days I strap her to a chair for 9 hours or more.

Before you call Child Protective Services, think about a car seat. It is against the law for me to transport my small child anywhere without strapping her into a car seat. She may not like it, but its best for her.

Everyone understands the dangers of not using car seats. No one will argue that they are not needed to keep our children safe. People understand how dangerous car wrecks can be. We haven’t always used them (my parents weren’t strapped in car seats), but people now agree that they are needed to keep kids safe.

People don’t know much about pig farming.

Most people think of Wilbur or Babe when they think of pigs on farms. Cute little pink pigs that make smart-alecky remarks to the sheep. But, that’s not reality. Real pigs are much different.

·         Did you know that grown sows (momma pigs) can weigh as much as 500 pounds?

·         They are huge animals. They may stand 4 feet tall.

·         They can be very dangerous animals. Pig farmers can tell very scary stories about a pig hurting or even killing someone.
There has been a lot of news in social media and on the internet about gestation stalls, or maternity pens, used in the pork industry. Several food companies and restaurants have declared that they will be phased out in the next few years and some states have even passed legislation banning them.

Most people know very little about pork production and why gestation stalls are used. People see pictures and hear terrible stories about farmers ‘abusing’ pigs and think, “Wow, how can we let this happen?” The problem is that we are not hearing the whole story. So, I decided to write a post about them, to help explain.

What are gestation stalls?

Gestation stalls are small pens that farmers put sows (momma pigs) in while they are pregnant. They provide each pig with a specific amount of food and all the water she wants, but there is not a lot of room for her to move around. They can lie down, but not turn around. They are artificially inseminated (bred to the boar) in those pens and stay there until they are about to have their babies. Then they move to a different type of pen.
 
A friend of mine who is a pig farmer in Ohio sent me these pictures of pigs in gestation stalls on his farm, Standing Oaks Enterprises. You can check out his blog at Acorns for Thought.

Why do farmers use them?

First, they use them to protect the pigs from each other. Just like people, pigs pick on each other. If you have a group of pigs together in a pen, they will fight to establish a hierarchy, to determine who is the boss. In the case of sows, some will become ‘bully sows’ and will literally fight and pick on inferior sows until they are physically separated or one dies. These pigs stand waist-high and may weigh as much as 400 or even 500 pounds. A 200-lb man is no match for them. Fighting sows are very dangerous.

Second, farmers must control how much feed the pigs eat. Also like people, pregnant sows are very hungry. But, unlike most people, they don’t know to control how much they eat to keep from getting obese. If allowed to eat all they wanted, the pigs would be morbidly obese, they would shorten their lifespan, and it would be wasteful. If the sows were mixed, some sows would hog (no pun intended) all the feed and overeat, while others would starve. So keeping them separate allows the farmer to feed each pig exactly what she needs.
 
Since I've been working on this post, I participated in a radio show with a pig farmer from Missouri, Chris Chinn. She was asked about gestation stalls and had a couple of points I wanted to share. She said that her farm used to use group housing and that the bully sows ate too much and had big babies and trouble in labor. She also said that the weaker sows had small, unthrifty babies. When they switched to gestation stalls, they found that they used less medicine because the sows didn't injure one another fighting.

Right before the sow has her babies, the farmer will move her into a farrowing crate. These are pens that are large enough for the sow to stand up and lie down, but she has to do it slowly. Remember these sows can weigh as much as 500 pounds. Their piglets may only weigh 3 or 4 pounds. They can walk soon after they are born, but not very well. If the momma pig lies down too quickly, she could squish her babies.

Research shows that there are advantages and disadvantages of using gestation stalls. One study gave pigs the choice of remaining in a group pen or in a gestation stall and found that the pigs preferred to stay in the stalls most of the time. In a video of a farm in Indiana, the farmer has European-style gestation crates, where the pigs can choose to go in or out of the stalls. He says they stay in their stall over 90% of the time.

In response to all the pressure from food companies, some farmers have removed their gestation stalls and changed their barns to group housing. Others have installed European-style pens that give pigs a choice of where they can be.

Big changes in animal housing need to happen slowly. Don’t think that we can just ban stalls and walk away feeling good about our animal welfare practices.  Pigs and people will suffer if we don’t find acceptable alternatives.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) put together a task force to address sow housing that included several vets and a representative from HSUS. They concluded that any sow housing systems had advantages and disadvantages, and that farmers and animal scientists should work together to retain the advantages of the current systems and improve on them.

I hope that veterinarians, farmers and food companies can work together to determine what is truly best for pigs. I don’t think anyone has an easy answer right now. Even the animal welfare experts say that there are no easy answers when it comes to housing pigs.

I think this quote from Dr. Temple Grandin is very meaningful, “Nature is cruel, but we don’t have to be.” She said it many times. Animals are cruel to each other. Farmers do their best to keep animals happy and healthy. Just like parents with car seats.

 Here are a few more resources about gestation stalls and pig housing.

·         A good Q and A about gestation stalls and their history.

·         A nice video about modern hog farming, including gestation stalls.

·         A good video from Humane Watch about pigs and maternity pens.

·         The report from the AVMA task force on sow housing.
Janeal Yancey
Huntsville, AR
Janeal Yancey is a mother with a Ph.D in meat science. She shares her knowledge about food on her blog www.momatthemeatcounter.blogspot.com. This blog was shared with permission from the author. 

Prior to our visit to the Gould’s farm, I hadn’t really thought much about pork production. Where I live our food comes in packages and our farm stories come from children’s books. For the most part the only thing I know about pork is how to cook it. My family eats more pork products than any other type of meat—so it was fun (the piglets are SO cute) and interesting for me to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how the meat that makes it to my table gets it start in life.

The Gould’s farm houses 700 sows in a “sow center” and they focus exclusively on breeding, gestation and farrowing. Our tour started in their family office where they explained the process of insemination and gestation, farrowing and eventually starting all over again.  The field mom’s on this tour were in for quite a shock as we discussed all, ahem, aspects of impregnating the sows! We even had the experience of witnessing the process, something I had never, ever considered while at home cooking for my family. On this farm they purchase semen to be used with their sows and it is selected for multiple reasons including characteristics that affect size and meat quality. Some of the specific attributes are indicated by the producer as consumer preferences, such as leaner meat. It was great to see science being used in parallel with Mother Nature. The Gould’s chart each sow’s cycle and check her status by using a “tease” boar (male)—they are not rushing or forcing the process. It was interesting to learn that the gestation period is 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days. Just prior to her due date, a sow is moved to the farrowing crates where she will deliver and stay with her piglets for the following few weeks. The deliveries are not scheduled or induced due to a business plan. It was amazing to walk into the farrowing room on our tour just as a sow was delivering her 7th piglet of the morning, somewhat of a surprise to Chris Gould as she had not even started two hours prior to our visit.

While I was pretty sure that I was not going to encounter a pig named Wilbur and his friend the spider in an idyllic country setting, I was a little overwhelmed by the view of the sows inside the sow center. The sows are kept in metal crates which protect them from each other and enables the farmers to give individual attention to each sow.  These crates are lined up within the barn from end to end with narrow walkways for farmers and boars to access all of the sows. It seemed so incredibly huge and barren and the sows are all kept facing one direction. While they can lay down, they cannot turn around. Taking this all in for the first time was hard, mainly because I, as a person, would not like to be confined this way. Despite this initial feeling I kept an open mind to what I was seeing and to the individual pigs.  They were all clean and well cared for. They seemed happy enough as much as a random visitor can judge an animal’s happiness. As we walked through you could hear them snuffling and their ears would perk up as they gave us a cursory glance.  Once it was determined we did not have food there was not much interest on their part. It was a very low stress atmosphere and actually quite peaceful.

It wasn’t a surprise to learn that the crating of the sows is a huge industry topic right now. It was great to see for myself and to hear the opinions of an expert (Janeen Salak-Johnson from U of I) along with us for the tour so that we could understand the contrast between reality on the Gould Farm and what we see and hear in the media. We learned that the debate includes animal behavior and their natural instincts to determine social order through violence (as is true with many animals, including the cattle we viewed on the last farm tour). Furthermore, it is important to determine the actual needs of the animals, including whether more space is needed for turning around or other behaviors.

The tour to the Gould farm enlightened me to this serious political and ethical debate that is raging about sows being crated.  I cannot avoid further mention of the controversy as the discussion on crates took up such a huge part of our tour. As I mentioned at the farm, I feel many urban consumers are so far removed from our food and where it comes from that it is easy to latch on to negative stories in the media as truth. Some of the uproar certainly is a defense mechanism to feeling manipulated by those that sell us our food. I do want to eat pork (or beef or chicken), but I don’t want animals being treated poorly. There are many parts of this issue and I feel I need to start by deciding what I want to eat, how much I am willing to pay for it and what issues I have with specific practices and why. Housing animals indoors and in the case of sow crates, individually, has a lot of benefits including safety from the elements and each other, ease of checking them for disease or injury and the ability to adjust food for each individual animal.  As outsiders looking in we need to be practical about what we see. These are animals that are intended for people to eat—not house pets. The producers of the animals we eat are business people running a business. What is good for the animals is good for the farmer, but more space also has a real cost. I saw animals that were very well treated by caring farmers.  I would like to see the future include a little more quality space for animals, but with the understanding that the sweet farm where Wilbur and his friends live, in reality, would not feed the world or even the city of Chicago.

 

Amy Hansmann

Field Mom

 

Back to the pigs’ living conditions and comfort level:  during most of the sows’ time on our farm, they’re pregnant.  After all, they’re pregnant for almost four months, nurse for three weeks, are weaned, and usually are ready to be bred again about one week after weaning.  During the time they are gestating, or pregnant, they stay in a large building that has a slotted concrete floor.  This allows waste to fall through to the pit, or basement, and allows the sows to stay dry, warm, and clean.  The barn is heated to 72 degrees in the winter, and cooled as much as possible during the summer.  Using various techniques, we can usually keep it 8-10 degrees below the outside air temperature, so if it does get to 90 degrees, it’s still 80 inside.  The sows definitely don’t like it that hot, but it’s better than 90.

When the sows are due to farrow we move them to appropriately-named “farrowing rooms.”  They’re our version of Labor & Delivery.  These rooms have the same basic design, although the floor is woven stainless steel with much smaller gaps so the newborn piglets’ tiny hooves don’t fall through.  The sows are held within crates which allow them to stand up, lie down, eat, drink, and take care of personal business, but otherwise confine them in a fairly small space.  This minimizes the sows lying on the baby pigs, which have additional space to move around mama.

Because the sows like it cool and the piglets like it much warmer, we use rubber mats under and heat lamps over the piglets to help keep them warm and comfortable while maintaining room temperature at 72-74 degrees.  When it’s time to move the piglets to the next farm, we use a converted Jewel grocery store trailer.  Because the trailer is insulated, we can heat it and keep the piglets warm until they arrive at their destination, about 20 minutes away.

This system is fairly typical of a modern hog farm.  We can compare this to the good old days of sows farrowing in uninsulated huts in pastures, carrying straw through the snow drifts to bed the huts, breaking ice in frozen water troughs, and picking up frozen or laid on baby piglets.  Sows, piglets, and caretakers are all much happier with the current system.

Chris Gould
Gould Farm
Maple Park, Illinois