One of the things I get asked about is the life of a pig on a factory farm. Our film does not focus on that, however, I’m learning and sharing what I can because it’s relevant. I want to share to help answer questions in case anyone else is curious about it.
To answer some of those questions, I found an article about the “life cycle of a market pig” from Pork Checkoff. From this website, here’s some info:
- Pigs are two to three pounds at birth.
- There are usually about 12 pigs per litter.
- They are weaned at about three weeks.
- They go to a nursery for six to eight weeks where they grow to be about 50 pounds.
- They are moved from a nursery to a “finishing barn” for about 16 weeks, where they grow to about 280 pounds.
- They are “market ready” at about six months old.
In addition, the reproduction life cycle on factory farms comes up a lot. The same website says, “Gilts (female pigs) reach maturity and are bred at 170 to 220 days of age.” Pregnancy for these pigs is three months, three weeks, and three days long. They give birth in a farrowing barn.
What other questions do you have about pigs?