The editor:
I just read “Don't support factory farm-raised animals” and as a hog farmer, I feel compelled to share the truth about modern hog farms. First and foremost, H1N1 is not found in hogs in the United States. H1N1 is being spread from human-to-human contact, not from pork. Pork is SAFE to eat.
As a hog farmer, my top priority is the comfort and safety of my animal. By housing our animals in modern barns, we have eliminated many diseases and parasites that hogs raised outdoors have to endure, like worms, trichinosis and TGE to name a few. This has resulted in a safer food supply for my family, and yours. Farmers care for their livestock 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year; our lives revolve around our animals being healthy and content. I urge readers to talk to an expert, a farmer or large animal veterinarian, about the care given to animals and the housing systems used to protect livestock.
Our production methods are based off sound science, with the animal's comfort as our top priority. Farmers know healthy and content animals produce healthy food. Housing our animals in an environment which keeps them warm in the winter, and cool in the summer is a benefit to our animals, especially since hogs can only sweat through their nose. Americans enjoy air conditioning in their offices, homes and cars, our animals are also enjoying this same luxury.
Housing hogs in modern barns not only protects our animals from the elements of the weather, diseases and predator attacks, but it also improves food safety for our nation. If the majority of hogs were raised outdoors, the outbreak of an illness would be spread to wildlife and other livestock rapidly. By housing livestock in a controlled environment, farmers are able to contain any illness and prevent it from spreading to wildlife, other livestock, and pets.
Our animals do not have health insurance and antibiotics are expensive. Farmers can not afford to misuse antibiotics. Farmers are price takers, we do not get to set the price we receive for our products, and thus farmers use all animal health products responsibly. We also eat the same food that our consumers do. We know that healthy animals produce healthy food and we wouldn't feed our children anything that wasn't safe.
We only feed our animals high quality grains. Our diets are designed by a nutritionist to ensure our animals receive the nutrients their bodies need to be healthy. By housing our animals in a controlled environment, we are able to monitor each animal. If an animal isn't eating, we get the veterinarian there to tend to the needs of the animal. If these animals were outdoors, it could take days or weeks before it was discovered that this animal was not eating.
Would you ask your plumber for advice on your health care needs? I know I wouldn’t. I encourage everyone to talk to a farmer or large animal veterinarian to learn more about the care given to livestock. Talk to the people who work daily with livestock to learn how animals are cared for.
Chris Chinn
Clarence, MO
