Myth: Pigs are dirty and smelly animals.
False!
While hogs have a very distinct smell and look like they are very dirty animals, they are actually some of the cleanest animals!
Hogs do have sweat glands, but they are few and far between, and they are not useful when it comes to temperature regulation. Which means they cannot sweat as well as other animals.
Pigs cool off in a variety of ways; some of them have muddy areas that they will wallow in, others will have kiddie pools or if they are out on pasture area, they will find a cool and shady area. To learn more about pigs and their sweat glands visit http://bit.ly/1XIZnaE.
Hogs have obtained a reputation for being dirty because there are some that will wallow in mud. There are pigs kept in facilities do not have to find ways to cool off because the temperatures are being regulated. Even in said facilities, it is said that they are very dirty and smelly. Like most animals, hogs have a distinct smell and the different barns have to be extremely clean to keep the hogs healthy. In fact, hogs will separate their pens/space in two. They will defecate on one side and will sleep on the other. Thus, keeping themselves and their pens mostly clean. To read more about this, you can visit http://bit.ly/21lXeDS.
While many people think pigs are dirty and smelly, the truth is the opposite! There will always be pigs who will wallow in mud more than others and always be dirty, but pigs' natural instincts is to keep themselves and living areas clean.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Myth: Farmers Don't Care About Their Animals
There are a lot of videos and articles circulating the Internet that could make you believe farmers do not care about their animals. However, this could not be farther from the truth.
I'm sure that most people have seen videos from PETA or other organizations that show dairy animals constantly being exploited and harmed.
Are these accurate? No. The videos and accusations have been taken out of context. The animals in those videos could be considered "down cows." What that means is the cow or animal has fallen ill in some way, laid down and won't get back up. For those of you that don't know, when cows lay down and do not get up, it causes them to lose blood flow to their limbs, which then would prevent them from getting up. Farmers must do everything they can to make sure the cow gets back up. If she doesn't, they lose their product, and possibly their livelihood. According to Dairy Carrie, sometimes farmers are mean to their cows. They will prod them, use a skid steer and yell at them. However, it's not what you think. When it comes down to the wire, farmers may use a hip lift with a skid steer to lift the animal. Why? Because cows weigh 1,500-1,800 pounds.
(To read more about this, check out Dairy Carrie's article at http://dairycarrie.com/2013/12/09/cowabuse)
Farming is a business; the animals are apart of that business. The United States Department of Agriculture has issued an Animal Welfare Act statement which states that animals must be treated fairly and humane (the statement can be found at http://1.usa.gov/1KVlGI8).
The myth of farmers not caring about their animals is: false.
Sure, there's always people who will mistreat their animals and they'll always be the ones who ruin it for everyone else. However, these individuals are in a minority because farmers DO care about their animals. It's in their blood, it's their true passion and more importantly, their identity.
I'm sure that most people have seen videos from PETA or other organizations that show dairy animals constantly being exploited and harmed.
Are these accurate? No. The videos and accusations have been taken out of context. The animals in those videos could be considered "down cows." What that means is the cow or animal has fallen ill in some way, laid down and won't get back up. For those of you that don't know, when cows lay down and do not get up, it causes them to lose blood flow to their limbs, which then would prevent them from getting up. Farmers must do everything they can to make sure the cow gets back up. If she doesn't, they lose their product, and possibly their livelihood. According to Dairy Carrie, sometimes farmers are mean to their cows. They will prod them, use a skid steer and yell at them. However, it's not what you think. When it comes down to the wire, farmers may use a hip lift with a skid steer to lift the animal. Why? Because cows weigh 1,500-1,800 pounds.
(To read more about this, check out Dairy Carrie's article at http://dairycarrie.com/2013/12/09/cowabuse)
Farming is a business; the animals are apart of that business. The United States Department of Agriculture has issued an Animal Welfare Act statement which states that animals must be treated fairly and humane (the statement can be found at http://1.usa.gov/1KVlGI8).
The myth of farmers not caring about their animals is: false.
Sure, there's always people who will mistreat their animals and they'll always be the ones who ruin it for everyone else. However, these individuals are in a minority because farmers DO care about their animals. It's in their blood, it's their true passion and more importantly, their identity.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Future For the Hog Farm?
In a recent article published by AgWeek, it mentioned that residents of southeast Buffalo are unsure about a hog farm moving into the area.
The main concern is: the smell and disruption to current residents' way of life.
9,000 sows would call the Buffalo countryside home. According to the article, the farm would produce "6.39 million gallons of manure and would cover 3,300 acres."
Roy Thompson, a neighbor to the farm said, "It's just a dramatic change in the neighborhood." Thompson left city life behind to find contentment and peace in the countryside.
Many health studies are also cited. For example the levels of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia are high near high manure producing livestock areas. A cause for concern would be drifting of the chemicals and causing respiratory illnesses in surrounding neighbors. Also, with the components of the manure, it could potentially breakdown the concrete holding pits, as well as affect air quality. North Dakota health permits currently do not address air quality, but only water quality.
Take one minute to think about this.
As I have learned more about the swine industry through my education, I feel the need to address certain issues in the story.
1. Ray Thompson wanted to move to the countryside for peace from city life. It is stated in the story that he has horses, chickens and cats. As he should know, animals produce smells. While I admit that hogs have a pungent smell, this should not be a reason to block the hog farm from raising animals.
2. The author states a statistic about antibiotic use on farms has a correlation to children having higher rates of asthma. However, that is the only time antibiotics are mentioned in the article. What relevance does this have? More than likely on a hog operation that large, there will not be children messing around with medicated feed or antibiotics.
3. While the ammonia could lead to a higher risk of respiratory illnesses, large animal operations have many regulations that have to follow regarding animal, environmental and employee welfare. There are many different organizations that producers work with to make sure they are compliant with all laws. In our state, pork producers work with the pork council and beef producers work with the Stockmen's Association.
4. The issue of corporate farming is also addressed. Currently, in our state, corporate farming is not permitted, but is on the ballot. Certain livestock industries are suffering in our state, and if there are enough rules to combat concerns while raising productivity and involvement in the suffering areas, citizens should be informed about the potential benefits.
To read the full article please visit this site: http://bit.ly/1QUb6Ao
The author is Patrick Springer.
The main concern is: the smell and disruption to current residents' way of life.
9,000 sows would call the Buffalo countryside home. According to the article, the farm would produce "6.39 million gallons of manure and would cover 3,300 acres."
Roy Thompson, a neighbor to the farm said, "It's just a dramatic change in the neighborhood." Thompson left city life behind to find contentment and peace in the countryside.
Many health studies are also cited. For example the levels of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia are high near high manure producing livestock areas. A cause for concern would be drifting of the chemicals and causing respiratory illnesses in surrounding neighbors. Also, with the components of the manure, it could potentially breakdown the concrete holding pits, as well as affect air quality. North Dakota health permits currently do not address air quality, but only water quality.
Take one minute to think about this.
As I have learned more about the swine industry through my education, I feel the need to address certain issues in the story.
1. Ray Thompson wanted to move to the countryside for peace from city life. It is stated in the story that he has horses, chickens and cats. As he should know, animals produce smells. While I admit that hogs have a pungent smell, this should not be a reason to block the hog farm from raising animals.
2. The author states a statistic about antibiotic use on farms has a correlation to children having higher rates of asthma. However, that is the only time antibiotics are mentioned in the article. What relevance does this have? More than likely on a hog operation that large, there will not be children messing around with medicated feed or antibiotics.
3. While the ammonia could lead to a higher risk of respiratory illnesses, large animal operations have many regulations that have to follow regarding animal, environmental and employee welfare. There are many different organizations that producers work with to make sure they are compliant with all laws. In our state, pork producers work with the pork council and beef producers work with the Stockmen's Association.
4. The issue of corporate farming is also addressed. Currently, in our state, corporate farming is not permitted, but is on the ballot. Certain livestock industries are suffering in our state, and if there are enough rules to combat concerns while raising productivity and involvement in the suffering areas, citizens should be informed about the potential benefits.
To read the full article please visit this site: http://bit.ly/1QUb6Ao
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