If you eat pork in the US, there's a great chance I made its food. AMA

I hear the best thing to do is feed them to pigs. You got to starve the pigs for a few days, then the sight of a chopped-up body will look like curry to a pisshead. You gotta shave the heads of your victims, and pull the teeth out for the sake of the piggies' digestion. You could do this afterwards, of course, but you don't want to go sievin' through pig shit, now do you? They will go through bone like butter. You need at least sixteen pigs to finish the job in one sitting, so be wary of any man who keeps a pig farm. They will go through a body that weighs 200 pounds in about eight minutes. That means that a single pig can consume two pounds of uncooked flesh every minute. Hence the expression, "as greedy as a pig".

One of my favorite flicks, boss told me about a guy went in one night to fix some wiring in a barn, something must have happened like he fell or got hurt. Next day the rest of the crew comes in and finds his boots and shredded up clothes.

Have you ever had a emotional or sexual attachment a pig? As in you felt a certain pig didn't deserve to die or you wanted to take your relationship further with one...

I'm in love with the tenderloin and gravy I'm eating right now for lunch to be honest.

What does a pig eat?
How much does a pig eat per day?

It's a mixture of corn,soybeans, and all the essential vitamins ie: zinc, copper, calcium and so in.

Average pig eats 6 pounds of feed a day, can be up to 10 in the winter.

Are the vitamins come from premix? Or do you mix other ingredients to get those vitamins?

We have premix and individual, the premix is usually different type of calcium and so in. Majority I put in by hand singularly.

Do you find any of the pigs to have personalities? I eat pork... But I've heard rumors of pigs being pretty smart and friendly- almost as great pets.

Forcedfedlies hasn't seemed to answer your question, so i'll speak from my personal experience keeping pigs (on a much smaller scale, of course).

Yes. Pigs have very distinct personalities, comparable to any dog, cat, or other animal people commonly keep as pets. They are incredibly smart, and can understand and take direction if trained to do so. They remember when someone hurts them or does them wrong, and sometimes will exact revenge if they feel it's necessary.

I replied but it showed up as its own comment, but he nailed it above. If you shoot a pig in front of another. That pig will remember and freak out if it sees a gun.

Have you ever fed the pigs pork?

That is how mad cow disease gets started, however tallow is used.

Mad pig

FTFY

Tallow? Creepy..

All the fat comes from cows though.

I am now more informed. Thanks! Can I ask another question? Fuck it, I'm asking anyways. Is Canadian bacon better or worse for you than the standard stuff?

It's been brined and is full of salt. Basically like comparing beef jerky to a steak.

what goes into pig feed? what do you do with all their poop?

Answered the feed question, the poop is sold and spread onto fields as fertilizer.

My brother is opening a feed factory and needs someone like you with experience. Would you be open to a company paid move to southern california?

Haha quality gimmick!

[deleted]

I've never finished it but it has been in my queue for awhile. A lot of corporate farms are fucking horrible. We are the largest family owned farm, our current CEO has been the lead vet we used since the company started. I can't say much for other sites because I haven't much other then our own, but like I mentioned before our pigs live better lives then most people. Pens are always cleaned, sprinkler systems in the summer to keep them cool, best quality feed possible. Thats why we make our own regardless of cost (3 million dollars a day for my mill alone, we have 3 mills total).

We invest a lot of money into our pigs, they are our livelihood. Abuse is not tolerated in any extent.

[deleted]

At any given time we have 1.5-2 million pigs.

Thanks for being humane and kind to your animals. I've seen too many slaughterhouse videos that make me lose faith in people.

In all honesty, i'm not sure how an operation that large can be "kind" to its livestock. I tend to believe that such a conglomeration of a single kind of animal is grounds for abuse, simply because there's no way you can tell how any one pig is doing. Thus, one has to rely on consistent medications to ensure that pigs are healthy enough for consumption. You shouldn't need to give them medication if the environment (including the herd size) is favorable to their health to begin with.

We have hundreds of barns, a lot are contracted to individual family farmers, our pigs get treated just as they would at any small family operation. Medications are mostly for preventive measures because antibiotics are not allowed in swine period.

I apologize, but how can you be so certain of that? You've stated elsewhere in this thread that you actually don't really see the pigs that much at all, because the mill you operate is off-site.

I also totally understand that the various medications you administer are a preventative measure, but the point I was making is that you have to rely on them to ensure that the business continues.

I fear if I continue commenting on this though, the discussion will shift away from swine production and delve into personal philosophies concerning preventative medicine.

I didn't say that its never happened, its just very rare for our company. We have zero tolerance for it, as any company should.

How did the swine flu scare a few years ago affect your business?

Carried on as normal, we already keep a strict biohazard program. If we are loading on pigs into a truck and so much as a hair is on the trailer from a previous load we do not load them and the trailer must be re washed and sanitized.

It must be hard to make sure that the trucks are that clean, no?

From what I've told it's a pain in the ass, but it prevents disease and he loss of huge amounts of money so it's worth it. It's not so bad if you keep up with it. Even say a pop can from the highway somehow got in there, it's unacceptable.

Oh I understand that it is worth it. I guess I should have phrased my comment differently.

I am more interested in what exactly cleaning the truck entails? Do you do it on site? It is one guy with a power washer?

They pay to have them cleaned usually.

[deleted]

Way smart, the fact that if you shoot a pig in front of another any time the pig sees a gun it will panic.

Big fan of your work here :)

Thanks! It's kind if satisfying to know how many families are actually fed by the work that I do.

What is your stance on GMOs in pig/livestock feed?

We don't use any unless you want to split hairs and argue the corn is probably a modified strain. Keep food natural and pure, the way it was intended.

You've got to be kidding - are you really saying the corn and soy you use is non-GMO? Or you're just assuming so?

I'm assuming so because it would be impossible for a farmer to keep up a organic crop with the amount of product we use. Most corn in the Midwest is contracted seed.

On a scale of one to ten, how relevant is your username to this particular AMA?

10 meaning I put love and hope of a long life in each batch.

How has your views on domestic animals changed since you started this work? Do you pity the animals?

Our pigs live better lives then most of humanity, although much shorter. This is a way of life for a lot of people, its never really bothered me. I hate killing even a spider, don't think I could slaughter a pig.

So, tell us about a day in a pig's life. Also tell us about your typical day, if you please.

A pigs is simple.. Eat, drink, sleep. Repeat.

I work 12 hour shifts, there is only one other guy that does my job (quality control reasons). Basically I add medications by hand so we get the exact amount, then I sit and watch my computer monitors to make sure the scales are weighing correctly, maki sure the corn is ground to the correct size etc. A barely noticeable difference in size of a corn grind can cost the company 200,000$ in lost product a year. I do about 15 minutes of physical labor for every hour I sit doing nothing (browsing reddit).

Do you use a needleless syringe?

The workers in the barns use a little gun type syringe, kinda like the ones you see in the movies when the spy comes up behind the use and sticks him in the neck.

thoughts on the McRib?

Garbage, I'm a Wendy's man.

How did you get into this business? How's the money?

I make a pretty good living, an independent hog farmer who owns a few barns can make a million a year easy if he knows what he is doing.

Are there different feed formulas? I know most of the time animal food is designed to make the animal as fat as possible as fast as possible to maximize product output, but are there other types of food designed to do different things?

Yes we have 15 or so different formulas but its always changing on weather, health etc. we have a basic feed plan to ween off medications by the time they Goto slaughter. A pig can not have any trace if medication in their system when going to slaughter. For te last 30 days they are given a non medicated feed mix. If a single pig has medicine in its system at slaughter the entire lot is useless and killed.

what medications are in the food, and why?

is it like growth hormone type things?

why does it need to be out of the system before slaughter?

Mostly human allergy reasons is why they must be drug free. Most the medications are for preventive measures for common sicknesses. It is illegal to give swine antibiotics, so preventing it before hand is key. The last medication we give them is like speed for pigs to keep then more active and healthy.

Basic medications are: Denegard, Lincomyacin, Paylean and Mecadox to name a few.

That's a lot of medications. What are they all for?

Piglets get the most just to give them a healthy start, they go through a feed program. Not all are given at once. The feed changes as the pigs get bigger.

Says antibiotics are illegal to give to swine and they don't use them, then names an antibiotic he gives to swine. This guy^{^}

Lincomyacin(sic) aka Lincomycin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincomycin

"Eighty percent of the antibiotics sold in the United States goes to chicken, pigs, cows and other animals that people eat, yet producers of meat and poultry are not required to report how they use the drugs"

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/health/use-of-antibiotics-in-animals-raised-for-food-defies-scrutiny.html?pagewanted=all

Also I have to have 3 separate forms stating what medicine and how much I used every day specifically for the government. I only read the excerpt but as far as what I know/have learned that is false.

That's the only antibiotic and its agricultural grade designed specifically to prevent dysentery. It is given pretty much the first half of their life. I was talking more run of the mill diseases, sicknesses that antibiotics would be used for.

Yes we have 15 or so different formulas but its always changing on weather, health etc

How does weather affect the type of food they get? Is it to prevent runoff of the medications in the food?

It's pretty much the same food just an added ingredient. Basically more calorie heavy to keep them warm and cozy.

Is there a pig that ever talked to you?

I rarely see our pigs, I make the feed and the feed gets taken to the site. I'm sure pigs have a cool dialect though.

Do you believe that all of the violence and indifference in the Middle East is due to the fact Jews and Muslims don't eat pork...and that if they had the same love of bacon and pork chops as those who do eat pork there wouldn't be as much strife in the middle east. Cuz I eats that pork from the rooter to the tooter.

Bomb the Middle East with blts!

How can I get an internship with your company?

You must vow your hatred for PETA by eating a live duck sized horse.

How often are you inspected and by whom?

We have another co-op come and measure to make sure all of our numbers are on, other then the basic USDA yearly/surprise inspections.

How old goes a pig get before it's sent to slaughter?

Usually around 6 months.

What do you aim for the hogs weight gain per day?

I honestly don't know the answer to that one, I just know they are a specific size when they are slaughtered obviously and on average it takes 6 months.

Have you ever had any bacterial or viral outbreaks at the farm? How are these handled?

We have certain barns that get put on biomed status, they hve a different level of protocol. You wear suit, show slips etc. also the semi must be immediately washed before going to another site or even back to our mill.

Hey! I was a feed truck driver in Iowa for a couple years. No way I would want your job.....breathing paylean sucks

You should see the shit that comes out of my nose at the end of the day even wearing a mask! Not to mention zinc naturally has arsenic in it, puts you at ease ha!

I've had to help on more than one occasion. The taste from in your nose is brutal. Talking about this, I can clearly still smell DDGS.

Haha our ddgs bin leaks on top of our Paylean microbin. Bakery smells amazing though!

I remember eating some of that enders bakery....was like...damn, pigs got it good!

What's in that shit? We only use it for nursery

All kinds of stuff...cereal, candybars...whatever cant be used during manufacturing process I think. IIRC we put it in most AMVc formulas, but its been years since I've been in the business. Returned to Alaska (home) and haven't looked back. Am I remembering right that fresh feed smelled a bit like peanut butter??

I wanna live in Alaska! It always smells like cookies why I asked haha.

No offense, but zinc and arsenic are two seperate elements (Zn and As) and hence, one cannot contain the other.

Do you mean to say that the way zinc is supplied to you, it is accidentally mixed with some arsenic? Or do you use "zinc" as a euphemism for some more complex compound?

The zinc we get us like 99% zinc and then rest binding ingredients.

Do you eat pork?

Yes, just got done eating leftover tenderloin from last night. The pork I get is ridiculously fresh, the last "half pig" they gave me was slaughtered just three days before. All pork that is sold is frozen before hand for food safety reasons.

Any tips on where Joe Q public could pick up fresh pork like that?

Move to the Midwest. Or find a local farmer.

Is there a such thing as a type of pig that doesn't get bigger than wilbur/gordy size?

Potbellies? We breed a few different kinds of pigs. They are alway cross breeding though to try and produce the best pig possible. Such as rate of growth, health, and usable end product.

What is one ingredient that you wish you could remove?

Enzyme, just because I always have to refill it. Tryptophan was a pain in the ass as well, it would glue your eyes shut of you didn't wear goggles. Thank fucking Christ we stopped using it. All in all, all of our ingredients are there for nutritional value there isn't really any "fillers". If its in there it's there for a reason. Example is magnesium, for some reason or another it prevents pigs from biting each others tails off.

How much feed (total) does a typical pig eat from the moment it starts feeding to the time it is slaughtered?

It's about 6 months usually from birth to slaughter at 6-10 lbs feed a day.

Are both females and males slaughtered after 6 months?

Yes our breeding sows are specifically for reproducing, and live longer lives then the rest.

Do you work near a town named for an Indian chief?

Be more specific, there's one town specifically that comes to mind. Most towns around where I work are a few thousand people or less.

What kind of QA testing do you do for incoming raw materials?

They take samples of everything that is brought in and they are kept for one year. We don't get a lot of variance from where we get our product so it's a fairly simple process. My job entails a mile long paper trail though. I have my information of what I believe is in there and then what my computer says is in there. The government has a close eye on everything we do.

Are pigs fed hormones or antibiotics?

Absolutely no hormones.

What about antibiotics?

Just one. To prevent dysentery.

Any problems when eating pig meat who were fed that?

Nope, I eat it a few times a week as well as most of America specifically the Midwest. No one is dropping dead. It's either give them the one antibiotic or have a bunch of pigs with bloody infected rectums.

i heard thath all that soy and corn moldy, not fit for humans? do you mix in activated charcoal or something similar?

Completely different types of corn then what humans eat. It's dried before we receive it and if its vet a certain moisture percentage we refuse it. I would have no prob reaching in and grabbing a handful of eater and taking a bite. I've never seen mold ever, worse thing ive seen are weevils which is on a happen regardless.

I haven't had pork in over 6 months AMA.

Why does bacon smell so good?

what is the cost per pound of that feed?

Depending on the ration it's anywhere between 450$-850$ per ton.

what's a day in the life of a pig like?

Eat sleep drink shit repeat. In the summer they get a nice cold shower every hour.

What do you think of hog confinement farms? I know some folks who raise pigs for a certain period of their life and then the pigs move on to the next farm. The cattle industry uses this method as well in some places. Why do we hear all the negative comments about the hog confinement farms, but not the cattle farms?

Most cows are free roaming, with the exception of dairy cows. Even then they are free most of the days.

What do you think of the 40+ companies that have committed to phasing out gestation crates in 2012? (McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, etc.)

Do you think the National Pork Producer's Council will change its position on gestation crates this year?

To Redditors: In case you don't know what they are, about 83 percent of breeding sows are kept in gestation crates, a sow housing system in which they're not really able to turn around or move around for a few months while pregnant, pic here: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Gestation_crates_2.jpg

Not true, McDonalds is the only one Ive heard about. This movement started in states where the pork industry is minuscule, that shit doesn't fly here, that's why they start in the smaller states. Couple months is more like a few weeks. The crates protect the mother, piglets and humans alike. Boss pigs will kill mothers and babies, we have these ib place to keep them separated so they can be safe. Also try walking into a pen with a 2000 lb angry mama with room to charge, tell me how that works out for you. We OPENLY give tours and not one person has told us they think its in humane, it's usually the (they live better lives then most Americans). The crates are about 10ftx6ft. Plenty of room, also let out from time to time to give em a break. Majority of the time try are in there, the mother is laying down while the piglets are feeding. These pigs are our business and investment, we make things as easy and safe for them as possible. The crates were designed for one thing and one thing only, safety.

I'm majoring in animal science and one of my proffesors mentioned today that the swine industry is in a major slump because feed is so expensive. Something along the lines of every pig sold looses the farm 15$. He said something about soy beans in South America having bad harvests. Is he full of BS or is this true? I feel like sometimes he just makes things up and nows my chance to find out!

The past falls corn harvest was terrible, corn is small and little dust when ground. All of our corn and soybean meal is on contract so we pay a set price regardless. Corn prices are up, however there not losing money on pigs. May be less then years past, but I know two weeks ago I was but as shit because we had an additional 150,000 pigs go to market then we normally do. Not really a slump, he's right I the corn though. That's why we make our own food though, so we don't have to worry about things like that. In my eyes, business is still booming.

I show pigs and I would like to know why feed is so damn expensive.

Corn harvest was terrible. Smaller corn equals a bigger grind which in turn means less end product. Not to mention smaller kernels take a lot more to fill a bushel then big fat ones.

Are u the one that kills the pigs? i hear that some people go crazy from hearing the pigs squeal so much.

also i like this isea of a ama

and i like ribs

I just make the feed. I couldn't kill a pig, except on far cry Ill kill the shit out of a pig on far cry.

Have you ever tasted the feed yourself? And if so, how is it?

Corny question if I say so myself.

Why does pig feed always look like shit? And I'm not even talking about after they get all up in, but anytime I've seen them being fed, the food was just this disgusting looking gray mass being slopped out onto the trough. I realize that pigs will eat anything and basically end up eating all the leftovers from basically everything, but why the hell does it end up looking so bad?

I actually saw an episode on TV about a pig farmer that opened a farm off Las Vegas and basically buys all of the food that gets thrown out from the restaurants for pennies on the dollar. Smart guy and the pigs love lobster apparently.

Our feed looks nothing like that, just looks like ground up yellow corn. The nursery is red however so they know its medicated. (Nursery medications can not be fed within 90 days of slaughter). There is blue dye as well, that could possibly why it appeared grey to you.

What do you think of the movie Babe?

I haven't seen that flick in years! But as I recall my mom loved it so that means I loved it.

That'll do pig.

What is your company's yearly profit? You mentioned spending around 3mill a day for upkeep and expenses.

That just for my mill alone, we have 4 total some busier then mine. I'm not sure of exact profits. The owner has his own private jet though if that gives you any idea of the level of ballet status. I'm guessing 50-75 million in profit easy. We are still privately owned so its not something I've ever been outright told, just what costs are.

what are hotdogs REALLY made of?

Lips and assholes

for the love of god tell me your lying...

You must not have been alive in the late 80s early 90s?

never again can I eat a hotdog... and no

Haha it's from the movie The Great Outdoors. Hot dogs are mostly made from leftover scraps, just like hamburger.

If it's not to personal, how much money do you receive from government funding ?

And do you think meat is a basic need or a luxury ?

Also lots of props for treating your pigs well do you get like a quality mark for it ?

We don't get any government funding.

Meat is far from a luxury, humans were designed to eat meat.. It should be easily available and cheap for everyone.