IARN — The processing situation for hogs is better than it was, but nowhere near where it used to be. The backlog has led to the euthanizing of many perfectly healthy animals that cannot be slaughtered before becoming too heavy for the processors’ equipment. Many producers have been looking at ways to change the diets of their hogs in hopes of slowing their growth until such a time as they can be processed. Thursday night, Iowa State University (ISU) released some findings that they have on the subject.
The Iowa Pork Industry Center and Iowa State Extension and Outreach held a webinar about changing the diet of hogs to slow weight gain during processing slowdowns. Dr. Nicholas Gabler outlined the study. He said the study was to find data to give the industry on practical programs that can easily be implemented without dietary or water restrictions. They also wanted to monitor the progress and well-being of the hogs after so many days on the program.
For more on this story, including comments from Dr. Nicholas Gabler, visit the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.
