Hogs

WHAT ARE HOGS?

Pigs, hogs, and swine are different names for the same thing. Baby pigs are called piglets. A boar is a male pig used for breeding. A boar can start mating at 5 to 8 months of age. It will mate with 20 to 30 females a year. A female pig is called a gilt before she has had a litter and a sow after she has a litter. A castrated male pig is called a barrow.

WHERE ARE HOGS PRODUCED IN BC?

Most pigs in BC are produced near Vancouver. This is to minimize transport costs to population centres when the hogs are sent to market. 80% of market hogs are produced in the Fraser Valley. The remainder are produced in the North Okanagan (15%), on Vancouver Island (5%) and the rest in the Peace River.

HOW MANY HOGS DO WE PRODUCE?

There are over 175 producers in the province. About 300,000 market hogs are slaughtered a year. 90% of this pork is bought in BC and the other 10% is exported. BC produces about 25 to 30% of the pork eaten in BC.

HOW ARE HOGS PRODUCED?

There are a number of steps in raising animals for meat.

Often one producer will raise hogs from farrow to finish, which means from birth until they are ready to go to market.

Some producers just raise the hogs after they are weaned from their mother.

Sows are bred by a boar. The gestation period is about 112 days. The average sow has 10 piglets in a litter. When the piglets are small, they nurse from their mother. The mother is kept in a farrowing crate. This is a pen that allows the sow to nurse her young but protects the young from the mother rolling on them. After 3 to 5 weeks the young are weaned from their mother's milk and put in a nursery for 4 to 8 weeks.

Nurseries are kept warm and the piglets start to eat food.

Pigs then are separated into similar sized animals and given a high energy feed. This is the growing-finishing stage.

Pigs are kept in large barns where the producer carefully controls feed, temperature, and ventilation. This ensures healthy animals and maximum weight gain. It takes a total of 5 to 6 months to raise a pig from farrow to finish.

WHAT DO HOGS LOOK LIKE WHEN I USE IT?

When a hog is sent to market it is used as meat. This is called pork. BC pork is quite lean because of the quality of the breeding stock. Over the years, breeding programs have reduced the level of fat in the animals. Pork can be eaten fresh as pork chops, roasts, or spareribs. Pork is also often preserved, salted, or smoked. We eat this as bacon, ham or sausages. Pork is an excellent source of proteins and vitamins, especially vitamin B1. BC pork is renowned as a high quality product.

The list of other products which are made from hogs is long. From the fatty acids we get weed killers, rubber, floor wax, crayons, make-up, plastics, chalk and antifreeze.

The blood is used to make glue, protein for animal feed, and in leather making. The glands and organs supply insulin for diabetics and ventricles for special heart surgery. The skin of the pig is used for gloves, shoes, and garments. The hair of the animal is used in artists' brushes, as insulation and in upholstery. The bones are crushed into bonemeal which adds minerals to animal feed, and is used in water filters and in glass making.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE HOG LEAVES THE FARM?

When pigs weigh about 95 to 105kg they are sent to market to be used as fresh pork. The slaughtered and cleaned pig carcasses, which weigh 75 to 85kg, are sold to grocery stores or butcher shops where they are butchered for fresh meat or to meat processing plants for processed products such as smoked sausages, bacon or ham.

To make products from the pig skin, the skin must first be tanned.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO HOG PRODUCERS FACE?

In recent years, consumers have demanded meat that is leaner and contains less fat. Swine producers, to satisfy this demand, have bred pigs that produce meat that is 25% leaner than pork was 20 years ago.

Hog production is an intensive farming operation. Problems with waste management and disposal or with unpleasant odours can arise -- especially if the swine operation is near residential areas. Strict environmental guidelines which address these issues are in use.

WHO'S INVOLVED IN PRODUCING HOGS?

• Swine producers
• Feed and veterinary suppliers
• Agri-business and extension representatives
• Meat processors
• Butchers and meat cutters
• Meat brokers
• Veterinary and meat inspectors

Interesting Fact About Hogs:

Pigs have a fast rate of growth. At birth they weigh 1.5kg. After 16 weeks, they weigh 60kg. Compare this to the average person who weighs 3.5kg at birth and 7kg after 16 weeks.

Contacts and other resources:

 

BC Hog Marketing Commission

BCMAL - Hog Information