Our Policies
We do a number of things differently from most American farmers to increase the quality of our meat. We also try to raise our animals in a humane and natural manner, as described below.
Natural Approach
We try to allow the animals to do what they want to do. We give the pigs lots of space, to cut down on stress. We treat the pigs as gently as possible. Unless there's a very good reason, piglets nurse at least 8 weeks. That is longer than almost all farms. Our goal is just two farrowings per sow per year.
No Cruel Confinement
We don't confine the pigs like in modern farms. The pigs are outside nearly all the time, including winter, with access to fresh air and dirt. Some sows (particularly the Berks) get put into pens at farrowing time - otherwise they can lose their entire litter. The Mangalitsa sows typically farrow outdoors in huts, without being penned up.
The Mangalitsa have curly bristles to protect them from the elements, and we provide them with additional shelter. The Berkshire hogs are likewise hardy enough to be outside all year.
In the hot months, we ensure they can wallow and find shade. We don't ring the pigs' noses, so they may root as much as they want.
Huts and Pens
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The goal of huts, pens and crates is to stop the dam from crushing her piglets, and to make sure that the sow farrows in a safe place.
Huts and pens allow a sow to stand and turn around, but still provide some protection. Gestation crates, which we don't use, restrict the sows movement even more.
Minimal Mutilations
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We don't clip the piglets' needle teeth at birth, as many farmers do. The Mangalitsa have few piglets at a time, so their piglets don't tend to ruin their mother's nipples.
We don't ring their noses.
We may (in the future) trim the tusks of boars, depending on our perception of the risk of the boar hurting us. A Mangalitsa boar, if agitated (perhaps by a sow in heat), can easily rip open someone's thigh.
Most males will get castrated - unless we know that they'll be slaughtered early enough to avoid boar taint, or if they are intended for breeding.
Although we are generally against mutilations and avoid performing them, some of our Berkshire hogs were born on a farm in the Midwest where they routinely dock tails.
This is a complicated issue: if one confines pigs tightly, docking tails seems humane, because it stops pigs from suffering. We'd rather see the pigs given enough space, avoiding the problem altogether.
Natural Approach
The pigs do not receive any hormones or sub-therapeutic antibiotics in their feed. Nor do we feed the pigs synthetic nutrients like urea.
The pigs eat what we plant in the pasture, which includes alfalfa, grains, legumes, grass, herbs and tubers to improve their flavor and antioxidant levels. We feed them supplemental hay when the pasture doesn't provide enough.
The pastures haven't been sprayed with pesticides or fertilized with chemicals in years.
Low-input and Sustainable
Our goal is sustainable animal husbandry. We try to do things as organically as possible, but when we have to choose between organic and sustainable, we choose sustainable.
In the first half of the year, the animals eat the pasture. In the second half, they are switched to the annual crops. After eating the annual crops, the pigs till the soil, preparing the ground for next crop. That's a traditional way of raising hogs that produces better meat.
The pigs have plenty of space in the 100 acre pig area, so there are no waste issues.