Ask the Hog Farmer [Archive]

Mudflap

04-04-2001, 10:16 PM

As some of you already know, my chosen profession in life is the ever so glamourous occupation of hog farmer. I'd bet good money that the majority of you Tribals, don't associate with any other hog farmers. So...do any of you have any questions about the hog industry? If so, ASK! I'd be more than happy to satisfy your curiousity if possible.

I don't know about the other Tribals, but I'm very curious about what all of YOU do for a living. I encourage each of you to start a thread announcing your occupation(s) or area(s) of expertise and open the floor to any questions.

I think this could generate some very interesting reading and dialogue. Let's see if this little brain child of mine survives.

Now, click on REPLY and aXe me a quextion. 

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Even the losers...
Get lucky sometimes.

Dog Breath

04-04-2001, 11:02 PM

Can hogs herd sheep? Is it just pigs and dogs?

What do you use for cold starts?
Do your hogs leak oil?

I heard hogs are kinda selfish.
Do they really "Squeel like a pig"?

Is there anything a hog won't eat?

Do any of them have blue eyes and call you Daddy?

Do you keep them in a barn at night or in the living room?

Do they spie on you like those nosey fucking chickens?

Do they eat pumpkins?

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Woof.
If it's so sick, why are you laughing?
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SexKitten

04-04-2001, 11:13 PM

i'm a hog farmer (http://www.swineonline.com)

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<IMG SRC="http://home.earthlink.net/~escape85/sk.jpg" border=0>
Meow

disturbed

04-04-2001, 11:31 PM

ya, i work with RW but still have yet to become as intelligent...

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Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries!
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Mudflap

04-05-2001, 02:25 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by Dog Breath:
Can hogs herd sheep? Is it just pigs and dogs?
Theoretically, it's possible, but it would require extensive training of the hog. Sheep herding is better left to breeds of dogs with propensities toward herding. BTW, Babe was a silly movie.

What do you use for cold starts?

16 oz of caffinated coffee.

Do your hogs leak oil?
Hogs secrete various fluids. Some are kind of oily.

I heard hogs are kinda selfish.
They are when it comes to food (aren't most animals in nature?), but otherwise, hogs are very social animals.

Do they really "Squeel like a pig"?
Hogs make 3 distinct vocalizations:
1. Grunt = contentment
2. Bark = Alarm
3. Scream = Distress

Is there anything a hog won't eat?

Hogs are omnivorous, but not predatory. In the wild, they eat mostly plant foods but will scavenge carrion if it is available.

Do any of them have blue eyes and call you Daddy?
Like people, eye color among hogs varies. I've seen a few with one blue eye and one brown eye. None of them have ever called my "daddy", regardless of eye color.

Do you keep them in a barn at night or in the living room?
Where I work, they live exclusively inside barns. They are confined in either crates or pens. My living room is reserved for myself and Merlin, my Great Dane. He's on the couch right now, napping.

Do they spie on you like those nosey fucking chickens?
Not to my knowledge, but I wouldn't put it past them.

Do they eat pumpkins?
Yes.

[/quote]

------------------
Even the losers...
Get lucky sometimes.

[This message has been edited by Mudflap (edited 04-04-2001).]

Mudflap

04-05-2001, 02:38 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by RogueWarrior:
I've witnessed hogfarming. It's an ugly business. In fact, my eyewitness accounting of hogfarming has resulted in my decision to never ever again knowingly eat any pork product. I've kept fairly close to that resolution.
[/quote]

What you may have witnessed is not necessarily representative of the swine industry as a whole. I, myself, have witnessed some horrible atrocities among cattle ranchers, but I realize that what I observed is not representative of the entire beef industry. I had steak for dinner.

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Even the losers...
Get lucky sometimes.

skalie

04-05-2001, 03:03 AM

Do hogs have a preferance musically?

Rock 'n' Roll or Country ??????

MAC

04-05-2001, 03:08 AM

Seriously,
We hunt wild hogs here in Texas and they come up for dogfood with dry strawberry jello mixed in it. Why is that?

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Don't shake the devil's hand and say you're only kidding.

Mudflap

04-05-2001, 03:18 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by skalie:
Do hogs have a preference musically?

Rock 'n' Roll or Country ??????[/quote]

Hogs don't prefer any particular genre of music. Like plants, they prefer soothing music over the louder, more rigorous selections.

------------------
Even the losers...
Get lucky sometimes.

Mudflap

04-05-2001, 03:23 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by theMAC:
Seriously,
We hunt wild hogs here in Texas and they come up for dogfood with dry strawberry jello mixed in it. Why is that?
[/quote]

I assume you are using dry dog food which usually has corn as the main ingredient. Hogs like their corn. It is a concentrated source of carbohydrates. The jello gives it a palatable aroma which they can detect from surprising distances. I have used jello along with various medications mixed in their drinking water to encourage water consumption with much sucess.

------------------
Even the losers...
Get lucky sometimes.

FallenAngel

04-05-2001, 03:49 AM

I too work with RW (kinda scary with him carrying that huge machine gun and hand granads (sp?) all overthe place.) but he is correct that is a boring office work which keeps me entertains about 0.000000000000001% of the time .... the rest is filled with miscellenous internet activities.

so do hogs pay well? since i have not previously heard of your line of business.... what exactly do you do with the hogs.... raise them for food i am assuming? do you then sell them to someone else?

please do tell
http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif


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And one time at band camp...

Mudflap

04-05-2001, 04:10 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by FallenAngel:

so do hogs pay well?

There is money to be made depending on how you position yourself within the industry.

 since i have not previously heard of your line of business.... what exactly do you do with the hogs.... raise them for food i am assuming?

Correct.

 do you then sell them to someone else?

Personally, I don't own any hogs or a farm. I am employed by a Fortune 500 company in the business of live production, processing, and marketing pork products. I work on the live production side of the industry. On the farm I work on, we have a breeding herd of 4000 + females. We strive to cost effectively keep them producing offspring which are earmarked to be raised to an average weight of 260lbs and then sent to market. Our farm's production goal is to farrow 185 sows per week, year round.

far·row n.
A litter of pigs.
v. far·rowed, far·row·ing, far·rows.
v. tr.
To give birth to (a litter of pigs).
v. intr.
To produce a litter of pigs.

sow n.
An adult female hog.
The adult female of several other animals, such as the bear. 

[/quote]

------------------
Even the losers...
Get lucky sometimes.

abs0lutionCFH

04-05-2001, 11:16 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by Mudflap:
<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>I work on the live production side of the industry. On the farm I work on, we have a breeding herd of 4000 + females. We strive to cost effectively keep them producing offspring which are earmarked to be raised to an average weight of 260lbs and then sent to market. Our farm's production goal is to farrow 185 sows per week, year round.[/quote]
[/quote]

that sounds like a lot of work, do you do it all alone or do you have help?

Koliedrus

04-05-2001, 12:30 PM

I should have known better that to think this topic by this particular author would be anything less than genuinely serious!

Years ago, a college friend and I filled ourselves with alcohol on Halloween night and took ourselves to the outskirts of a slaughterhouse.

*borrows Cruise Director's storytelling hat*

Just before reaching the fenced perimeter, he had me pull to the side of the road, handed me a joint and a lighter and told me that I would remember that day for the rest of my life.

After turning down the music, he rolled down his window perhaps two inches. The sounds that came in through that gap still haunt my sleep no matter the control I've learned over that part of my consiousness.

Screams! My blood turned to icewater.

My friend encouraged me to walk to the fence with him and listen to the sounds of death. I clutched the chain-link in shock and horror as the screams filled my thoughts. I visualized the crowd as they cried in agony for the fate that was soon to befall each of them. In my mind, I could see that they watched as their brethren fell, cried out for the loss and screamed louder as the next victim was led to slaughter.

Then we went for Brother Jack's Pigburgers with lots of hot sauce.

"Good goin' down but Hell comin' out".

*takes off CD's borrowed hat*

skalie

04-05-2001, 12:35 PM

How many of the hogs have you given names?

MAC

04-05-2001, 01:12 PM

Exactly how do they balance the hog's diet?
What % proteins, lipids, carbs, etc?
Are there any steroids present?
To what extent are they medicated?
How fast to they reach 260#
My mom always had a couple of pigs. She had a deal worked out with the local restaurants to get the plate scrapings for slop but we always supplemented with feed.
I know we always got our calves in the spring and hauled them off in the later winter, but I don't remember what the pig schedule was.
Good thread BTW

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Don't shake the devil's hand and say you're only kidding.

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skalie

04-05-2001, 06:21 PM

Is it true that a boars penis ( while erect ) is shaped like a corkscrew ?

Cruise Director

04-05-2001, 06:36 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by Koliedrus:

*borrows Cruise Director's storytelling hat*

[/quote]

Remember, the borrowing of the "story telling hat" is ENCOURAGED. Just don't forget to dust it off and return it.
http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

I grew up on a farm. We had a small hof farm down the road. When they cleaned pens, the smell was nasty. other than that, it was like any other meat producing farm.

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When I become World Dictator...HEADS WILL ROLL !!!!

Koliedrus

04-05-2001, 08:02 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by Cruise Director:

Remember, the borrowing of the "story telling hat" is ENCOURAGED. Just don't forget to dust it off and return it.
http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

[/quote]

Consider the hat
dusted (http://www.angelfire.com/mi/loosecruise/images/fart.wav) .

I see some potential here...

Back to topic.

Joke as we may, our sausage bicuits and pork rinds have a source.

To borrow Sir MAC's lead, I would like to play Devil's Advocate for a moment.

I'm under the impression that pigs are perhaps the most intelligent land animals on the planet (aside from humans, but that's still an issue of some debate) and are closer to humans genetically than great apes and similar primates.

If we are truly eating ourselves each and every time we munch a strip of bacon, would it be too much to ask for us to contibute a slice to King Bastard's birthday?

I think not.

All Hail the KING on the Eve of His Birth!
Soylent need not be green, KB http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/wink.gif

Happy (early) Birthday!

(edit: trace that train of thought an win a prize http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/wink.gif )

[This message has been edited by Koliedrus (edited 04-05-2001).]

Mudflap

04-06-2001, 01:04 AM

Wow! I just got home, logged on, and see lots of excellent questions! I will reply to all of them tonight, but I must take care of a few personal matters first. Thanks for the great response Tribals! 

------------------
Even the losers...
Get lucky sometimes.

Mudflap

04-06-2001, 01:52 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by abs0lutionCFH:

that sounds like a lot of work, do you do it all alone or do you have help?[/quote]

The farm where I work is staffed by 12 people and one robot. Seriously...it's called a boar-bot.

------------------
Even the losers...
Get lucky sometimes.

Mudflap

04-06-2001, 02:05 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by skalie:
How many of the hogs have you given names?[/quote]

I refer to all of the females as "Sally" except when they try my patience. That's when I usually name the ill mannered sow or gilt "fucking bitch."

The boars, however, have much more personality and are usually friendlier. I have named several of them. Off the top of my head:

Ralph
Spunky
Uncle Fester
Kevin
Red Dog


------------------
Even the losers...
Get lucky sometimes.

Mudflap

04-06-2001, 01:11 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by theMAC:
Exactly how do they balance the hog's diet?
What % proteins, lipids, carbs, etc?
Feed for our hogs is manufactured at a feed mill and is delievered to the farm in 24 to 27 ton loads. Hogs are fed various rations depending on their stage of growth, sex, lactation status, and purpose in life, i.e. breeding stock vs. market animal. The nutrient content of each ration is determined by our company nutrionist. I don't have the hard numbers of percentage protein, fat, carbs, and fiber, but I can get them for you if you still want them. Just let me know.

As a pig grows to adulthood, it's protein requirement increases as it grows, but each successive ration that the pig is fed actually contains less protein. They are still able to meet their protein requirement because their daily feed intake increases as they grow.

Are there any steroids present?
None. They aren't neccessary because pigs have a tremdous ability to efficiently convert feed to body mass. For example, pigs in the nursery phase of growth (approx. 12 to 50 lbs of body weight) have an average feed conversion rate of 1.45. That is: for every 1.45 lbs of feed a pig consumes, it will gain 1.0 lb of body weight. In the finishing phase of growth (approx. 50 to 260 lbs of body weight) pigs will average a 2.65 feed conversion rate.

To what extent are they medicated?
As little as possible because medications are expensive and they raise your input costs of production and lower your profit. They are used when needed, depending on the health status of the individual herd, the nature of the disease(s) affecting the herd, and the age of the hogs. Hogs that are scheduled to be sent to slaughter and processing within 3 to 4 weeks will not be medicated at all because we do not want to sell animals with drug residue in their carcass'. Medications can be administered via intramuscular injections or they can be added to their feed and/or drinking water. We have a very aggressive vaccination protocol to boost their own immune systems as a method of disease prevention. The most common injectable medication used in hogs is penicillin. The withdrawl period for penicillin is 14 days.

How fast to they reach 260#
Depending on various factors including genetics, health status, sex, housing conditions, and daily management, pigs will normally reach 260 lbs anywhere from 25 to 35 weeks of age.

My mom always had a couple of pigs. She had a deal worked out with the local restaurants to get the plate scrapings for slop but we always supplemented with feed.
I know we always got our calves in the spring and hauled them off in the later winter, but I don't remember what the pig schedule was.
Hogs like people, are ready to reproduce year round, not according to the season of the year. A sow's average estruous cycle is 21 days. Every 3 weeks, she's just begging to be mated...provided she isn't pregnant. The average gestation length is hogs is 114 days (16 weeks). Pigs are ready to be weaned off their mothers at approx. 18 days of age.

Good thread BTW
Thanks for your interest. I had typed out responses last night, but then my computer went psycho before I could post my response. How about machining and sending me a teflon dildo modelled after a boar penis. I'll hang it on the wall in my office. http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

[/quote]

------------------
Even the losers...
Get lucky sometimes.

Mudflap

04-06-2001, 01:18 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by skalie:
Is it true that a boars penis ( while erect ) is shaped like a corkscrew ?[/quote]

It's true. A boar isn't stimulated by friction during intercouse. They are prompted to ejaculate by pressure. The cork-screw tip is actually inserted into the female's cervix and the boar ejaculates directly into her uterus. The last part of the ejaculate is actually a gelatinous type "plug" which is Mother Nature's way of ensuring that the boar's genetic material will not seep back out when he's done boinking his mate. It also serves as a barrier preventing other boars from inseminating the same female immediately after she has been bred.

------------------
Even the losers...
Get lucky sometimes.

Mudflap

04-06-2001, 01:34 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by Koliedrus:

I see some potential here...

Back to topic.

Joke as we may, our sausage bicuits and pork rinds have a source.

To borrow Sir MAC's lead, I would like to play Devil's Advocate for a moment.

I'm under the impression that pigs are perhaps the most intelligent land animals on the planet (aside from humans, but that's still an issue of some debate) and are closer to humans genetically than great apes and similar primates.
Depending on the parameters defining "intelligence" it can be stated that hogs are indeed more intelligent that most land animals.

Pigs are actually NOT closer to humans genetically when compared to apes. Their internal organs, however, are very similar to humans in function and size. Mad scientists are working on a way to genetically engineer hogs using human DNA so that when an organ from a hog is transplanted into a human, the human's immune system will not recognize the organ as foreign and reject it. Humans and pigs are both monogastrics. Their livers do the same things ours do. Their lungs do the same things ours do. It's not a question of making a human/pig hybrid, but rather altering the factors on a cellular level in which our immune system recognizes an organ to be foreign.

If we are truly eating ourselves each and every time we munch a strip of bacon, We are not. would it be too much to ask for us to contibute a slice to King Bastard's birthday? I suspect KB would rather have bacon from a human origin given the choice.

I think not.

All Hail the KING on the Eve of His Birth!
Soylent need not be green, KB http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/wink.gif

Happy (early) Birthday!

(edit: trace that train of thought an win a prize http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/wink.gif )

A reference to Soylent Green perhaps? Planet of the Apes or the Simpsons.

[This message has been edited by Koliedrus (edited 04-05-2001).][/quote]

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Even the losers...
Get lucky sometimes.

MAC

04-06-2001, 06:15 PM

I believe Koliedrus was refereing to a pigs cerebral intelligence.
The proportion of cerebelum to cortex is indicitive of degree of genetic memory.
Cats have a large cortex: high genetic memory, instinctive actions, etc.
Dogs have a larger proportial cerebelum than cats: ease of domestication, ease of learning new skills, less likely to become feral once contacted with humans than cats.

trust me.

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Don't shake the devil's hand and say you're only kidding.

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