Comparison Research
How research helps the pork industry
The pork production industry is a vital component of economic activity for the Iowa economy. It is a vital ingredient to the economic base for many rural communities. There are many different methods for raising pork ranging from the capital intensive confinement facilities to those demanding less capital such as the hoop buildings or a pasture system. The industry has seen a rapid movement toward total confinement, environmentally-controlled facilities. These facilities require large amounts of capital and can create financial barriers to entry. It is important to determine if there are production methods that require less capital, which offer competitive pig production alternatives. Low-cost systems could be methods of entry for younger individuals or those with limited capital.
Additionally, there is much recent interest in hoop buildings for pork production. There are many unanswered questions. It is not clear where these systems fit into the pork production industry. Information is limited. This project will help provide information and answer some of those questions producers are evaluating when they are considering hoop production systems. It can assist in reducing the level of trial and error now being used as individual operations evaluate hoop structures.
Objectives
The objectives of the project are as follows for pigs finished in hoop structures:
- Quantify pig production performance. Performance indicators will include growth rate, feed efficiency, feed intake, pig health status (slaughter check), pig mortality and morbidity and carcass cleanliness.
- Characterize the environment of pigs raised in hoop structures. Specific variables include temperatures, humidity, air quality, and dust.
- Characterize manure produced in hoop structures, and evaluate the potential impact of manure management alternatives in terms of cost, odor, and water quality concerns. Bedding and all labor usage will be monitored.
- Monitor the behavior and physiology of pigs feed in hoop structures.
- Contrast the performance of pigs in hoops to the performance of pigs finished in confinement, using the confinement performance as a benchmark.