1. I smell bacon!
The PORK INDUSTRY

2. Put Pork on your Fork! Industry Overview
Pigs are not under a quota system
In 2011, 1700 farmers in Ontario produced 4.8 million hogs
Farms numbers are down 90% from 1979 – there were over producers
In 2011, a 100 kg pig sold for $161
It also cost $167 to raise that same pig
Meaning Ontario farmers lost on average $ 6 per pig
Lets visit a hog farm
2011 Pork Industry Report

3. Farrowing (Giving Birth)
A pig’s gestation (pregnancy) lasts for 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days
On average she gives birth to 8-14 piglets and produces 2.5 litters/year
She is bred artificially
Lets take a look at the miracle of life

4. Wieners
The pigs are with their mothers for days then moved to a different barn
Fed milk replacements and kept very warm (30º C)
Stay here unit they are kgs

5. Growing and Finishing PIgs
Currently most pigs are marketed at
110 kgs (242 lbs)
Depends on what the meat packers
desire for weights

6. Pork Industry
Commercially, raising pigs is a very risky investment due price fluctuations
Hog buildings only serve one purpose – raising pigs
Most hog buildings start at $ to build and are cement and steel.
Ammonia (NH3)and methane (CH4)gases created by the manure pits underneath, eating away at steel and cement collapsing roofs and floors after 10 – 15 year life span.
Very difficult for farmers to recoup their investments

7. Manure Handling
Confined pigs are not given any straw or bedding (carbon)
manure falls through the floor into manure pits
Resulting in very toxic and unbelievable smell

8. Environmental Concerns
Pig manure is a terrific fertilizer, full of N, P, K
If manure gets into ground water, the increase in nitrates ,causes algae and other noxious aquatic plants to flourish, reducing water quality.
Also, manure pits do explode
Foam scraped liquid manure tank

9. Disease Pig farmers are very concerned about biosecurity measures
Diseases getting into “closed” barn could mean economic catastrophe as pigs will die

10. porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS)
Blue-ear pig disease
Was first reported in 1987
Causes reproduction failure in mature pigs and respiratory tract illness in growing pigs
Costs the U.S industry about $600 million annually in losses
The virus keeps mutating, meaning vaccines do not work

11. Pig Epidemic diarrhea Virus (PEDV) new Disease
Affects suckling pigs the most (3 weeks and younger)
In some cases 100% mortality
Symptoms include severe diarrhea and vomiting
Older pigs are set back, but usually recover
Hundred of farms have been affected and thousands of pigs

12. PED continued
Experts think the virus is transmitted on trucks as pigs are transported and transmitted through the waste
In Canada, Grand Valley Fortifiers of Cambridge unknowingly spread PED by selling wiener feed with pig blood plasma …..they had no idea this was the cause
No vaccines have been established
The Americans have lost 15 % of their herd or 52 million pigs
Source: National Hog Farmer

13. PED Virus in Young PIgs

14. Media Gestation Crates
Pigs are re-bred after farrowing, usually within 3 weeks, sows are placed in gestation crates
Pigs stand or lie down
for the majority of their time
unable to turn around, very
stressful and loud