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Raising Pigs research

Raising Pigs

However, raising pigs is a complex process that involves feeding a nutritionally balanced diet, handling in a non-stressful and humane manner, maintaining safety and security, and managing health and comfort. Research is a key component in these efforts to keep pigs safe and healthy while preparing them to be a protein source. 

Farmers care about how pigs are raised for pork production.

The sections below detail the various questions you may have about raising pigs and highlight the latest research behind pig farmer (a.k.a. pig producer) best practices:

Raising Pigs researcher at facility

Understanding how pigs process the feed they eat and their nutritional needs is critical to how farmers raise them. Learn more about the nutritional requirements of pigs, how they are fed, and how swine nutritionists are discovering and utilizing innovative methods to feed pigs.

Feeding Pigs: Nutrition

The sections below detail the various questions you may have about raising pigs and highlight the latest research behind pig farmer (a.k.a. pig producer) best practices:

Discover the measured life cycle of a pig - from the moment a piglet is born until it’s time for harvest. Learn the latest research behind raising different ages and sexes of pigs that include gestation, farrowing and lactation, weaning and nursery, and grow-finish stages of production.

Management: Life Cycles of Pigs

Get to know the research behind caring for and handling pigs in all life stages. Explore what animal welfare and wellbeing realistically look like on a pig farm and what researchers are proposing and implementing to address standards of pig care.

Handling and Care

Managing pig health is a critical part of raising pigs. Veterinarians, producers, and researchers across the globe dedicate their careers to fighting infectious and non-infectious diseases. Learn ways in which swine industry experts are addressing the health and safety of the U.S. swine herd and pork supply.

Health Management

A crucial component of raising pigs is their quality of life. Research is constantly evolving to understand and evaluate pig welfare, wellbeing, and behavior. Learn more about how science and production practices are merging to address the welfare and wellbeing of pigs.

Animal Welfare and Wellbeing

When the time comes to bring home the bacon, pigs need to be harvested humanely, safely, and efficiently. Learn about the practices that go into harvesting pigs and the research behind these processes.

Harvesting

baby pigs at pork farm

Meet the Research Team behind the Real Pork Trust Consortium

Pig farmers must consider both the health of their animals and the quality of pork products they produce. Explore the backgrounds of the people who raise pigs from family farm owners, integrators, and contract growers to farm- and pork-supply-chain workers. Learn more about the people who raise pigs and how pig farming influences their lives.

Who Raises Pigs

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