How the life of a pig on our farm differs from a commercial pork operation, Part I

The life of sows and their litters ...

At Sparrow Hill Farm

Today Wrinkle is in heat. She is one of our best sows. Louie the boar has been tending to her very closely. She will be bred in the next 48 hours. 114 days from now she will build a beautiful nest of grass and sticks. Then have her litter.  

On our farm, our sows have 2 litters each year. We like if they farrow (have babies) in the spring and the fall. Everything is outdoors so we work with the seasons. After the sow has her litter, the little ones stay with her for about 8-9 weeks. During this time, they will run at mom's side and learn how to forage.

Whenever they get the urge, they will complain until she lays down and nurses them. They live a rich and spoiled life. At 8 weeks, the little pigs are now large and rambunctious. The sow will start to push them away and get tired of their never-ending energy. The young pigs will be completely weaned at this time and ready to join the herd of grower pigs. 

When the young pigs are separated from the sow, she enjoys a welcome rest. In 5 days, she will have another heat cycle. Gestation will start. And the process will repeat. 

At a commercial pork operation

Things are different in a commercial, confinement pork operation. Piglets are typically weaned and taken from their mothers at only 3 weeks old. During these 3 weeks, the sow is kept in a crate that is too narrow to even turn around. She can only lay down and stand up. There is no wandering the pastures and foraging. She is kept in confinement to accelerate the number of litters per year the operation can force from the sow. Efficiency and production volume is placed ahead of animal welfare and longevity of life. 

According to a study done by Iowa State University, the average number of litters for a commercial sow is less than 4 litters in her lifetime. She is then slaughtered, and a young pig takes her place. She is replaced because her body is stressed and worn down to the point of becoming "unprofitable." She is culled as a young, worn-out pig. 

In contrast, at the farm, our oldest sow, Babe, is 6 years old. She has had 8 litters for us. She is still energetic, healthy and currently pregnant. 

When I briefly worked in the commercial pork industry, I was told that pigs loved the life inside a warm confinement barn. That it was healthy and the best way to raise a sow. 

That's crazy!  My sows beg to differ. And the studies bear proof.