A hog farm is a type of livestock operation that raises and breeds hogs for meat production. Hog farms typically consist of farrow-to-finish operations, which are hog farms that raise pigs from birth until market weight, and finishing operations, which purchase weaned pigs and raise them to market weight. Other types of hog farms include sow farms, which breed female pigs (sows) to produce offspring for other hog farmers; boar studs, which provide breeding stock for sow farms; and feeder pig operations, which purchase weaned pigs and raise them to a certain weight before selling them to finishing operations.
The principal products of commercial hog farming are pork and pork byproducts. Pork is the most popular meat in the world, consumed by people of all cultures and religions. It is a versatile food product that can be cooked in many different ways. Pork byproducts include bacon, ham, sausage, lard, and various organs that are used in traditional dishes or sold as delicacies.
Hog farming began in Europe during the Middle Ages. Farmers bred hogs for both utility and pleasure purposes; Pigs were kept for their milk, meat, leather, and bristles (for brushes), as well as for sport (e.g., pigsticking). The first recorded instance of pork being eaten was by the Chinese Emperor Chen Nung in about 2200 BC. In the 10th century AD , Pope Gregory VII banned eating pork because it was considered “unclean” according to Jewish dietary laws; however , this ban was lifted after pressure from Italian merchants who traded extensively with Muslim countries where pork was not banned .
Hog farming quickly spread throughout Europe due to its profitability . In England , large scalehog farming began in 1526 when King Henry VIII granted a charter to Thomas Wyatt to establisha royal dockyard at Deptford ; this dockyard became known as “Wyatt’s Steelyard”. The English naval hero Sir Francis Drake is credited with bringing live hogs from Cuba to Plymouth on one of his voyagesin the late 1500s . These hogs were then crossbred with English pigs , producing a more hardy animal better suited to survive English winters .
The practice of raising hogs soon spread to North America with early settlers . Hogs were an important partof homesteaders ‘ subsistence lifestyleand provided valuable services suchas plowing fieldsand clearing brush . In addition , they were easyto careforand could be allowedto roam freely , scavenging acornsand other natural foods . However , this ledto problemswith feral hogs damaging cropsand property ; thus , legislationwas enactedin some statesrequiringhoglesto be confinedby fencesor otherwise controlled .
Today , thereare anestimated 65 millionhogs onfarmsin the United States ; China hasthe largest numberof pigs intheworld(roughly 700 million ) followedby the European Union( approximately 150 million ) . Inthe United Statesmost commercialhog production occursin Iowa , North Carolina , South Dakotaand Minnesota ; thesefour stateaccountedfor nearly 60 percentof total U.S productionin 2012 . Globallythe top fiveporkexportingcountriesare Canada , Denmark ,”