The 4-Hers and FFA members tried to follow their pigs around the show ring and look at the judge at the same time a task that proved difficult at times. A few important things are the rate of gain, how wide, tall and long the pig is and how much muscle and fat it has, Fullerton said. The other class, market, is more concerned with how the pig looks, walks and its muscle and fat content, Weber said. The rate of gain is especially important in the derby class. One hundred and fifty-five pigs...

US meat producer Tyson Foods announced that it will reduce pork production at its six major pork plants due to bad market conditions. Mickelson said poor market conditions include declining pork sales and higher hog costs. The 24 hours is equivalent to three work shifts. Tyson, based in Springdale, Arkansas, is the US's second largest pork producer behind Smithfield Foods. Free Pig Production Newsletter. Pig breeding / Pig Production articles.

Under a national wildlife disease management program, Keirn said researchers will collect and test wild pigs in up to 25 states to look for the presence of classical swine fever. The rooting and wallowing activities of the creatures, which tear apart the earth to search for food, have also forced some farmers to repeatedly replant fields. While feral swine have plagued warmer states for years, they are a recent problem in Iowa, with wildlife officials working to eradicate them since 2004....

They have no clue what s coming up and that s probably a good thing, said Carls as he reached down in the holding pen for another pig. Clip and nip a part of hog farming. But the job of constantly lifting squirming and squealing pigs, holding them still for a few seconds and then letting them go is hard physical labor. These pigs have no clue on what s about to happen as they are held in a holding pen. Raising pigs is a shorter commitment than beef cattle, he said, but the risks are still high.

Steve Ford, Staff Writer In case there was any doubt that a major North Carolina industry had its fat in the fire over at the legislature, consider this little vignette (mid-day Wednesday): A group of activists had surrounded a well-dressed woman in one of the Legislative Building's interior courtyards. Steve Ford, Staff Writer In case there was any doubt that a major North Carolina industry had its fat in the fire over at the legislature, consider this little vignette (mid-day Wednesday):...