With pig harvest at commercial packing plants currently disrupted, consumers have an opportunity to purchase market hogs directly from the farm. These pigs destined for local custom processing facilities may have to wait until they can be harvested.
Lee Johnston, Pedro Urriola and Sarah Schieck Boelke have put together a fact sheet detailing how consumers can keep market hogs in anticipation of their harvest at local meat lockers.
Pig diets, housing, feed and water equipment, the pigs’ environmental needs, and health and biosecurity information are all included in the fact sheet.
This new information can be found on the University of Minnesota Extension Swine blog at z.umn.edu/MarketHogs-LocalButcher.
Other COVID-19 resources and strategies for pork producers can also be found on UMN Extension Swine blog at z.umn.edu/COVID-19SwineResources.
Further questions can be answered by contacting UMN Extension Swine Educators Sarah Schieck Boelke at schi0466@umn.edu or Diane DeWitte at stouf002@umn.edu.