The Pork Industry at a Glance

INTRODUCTION
Lesson Introduction
The Pork Industry at a Glance lesson explains the basics of the pork industry. This lesson
supplies the students with information about the U.S. and global pork markets and the four
phases of pork production.

Standards
Time Needed
Interest Approach:........................ 5 minutes
Content Delivery:........................20 minutes
Activity # 1:....................................5 minutes
Activity # 2 (optional):..................5 minutes
Review Quiz:................................10 minutes

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:
1.

Identify key terms associated with pork production

2.

Discuss the economic impact of the pork industry as it

pertains to the United States and the global market

3.

Review the pork production cycle

NM-NS.9-12.6 Personal
and social perspectives: As
a result of activities in
grades 9-12, all students
should develop an
understanding of: personal
and community health;
population growth; natural
resources; environmental
quality; natural and
human-induced hazards;
and science and
technology in local,
national, and global
challenges.

MATERIALS:
1.

PowerPoint titled The Pork Industry at a Glance

2.

LCD projector or overhead projector (if needed, the PowerPoint slides can be used as
transparency masters)

3.

Enough copies of the quiz and activity sheets for each student in the class

VOCABULARY:
Artificial Insemination The deposition of spermatozoa in the female
genitalia by artificial rather than natural means
Barrow a male pig that has been castrated (not intact)
Boar a mature male pig used as breeding stock
Breed a particular type of pig; animals of the same breed have similar color patterns,
physical characteristics and behavior
Dorsal pertaining to the back or upper surface of an animal
Farrowing normal-delivery of one or more live, stillborn, or mummified pigs, on or after
the 110th day of pregnancy
Feeder Pig a pig, eight to 12 weeks of age, destined for finishing
Gestation period of pregnancy, or time between service, and the subsequent farrowing or
abortion (the day of service is counted as day 0)
Gilt a female that has arrived in the breeding herd but has not yet been mated; an in-pig
gilt is a female that has been served and therefore should properly be described as a sow
Grower Pig pigs from about 40 to 100 pounds
Litter the multiple offspring born during the same labor; also, a substance used by
animals that is appropriate for absorption of waste products
Market Hog in the United States, finished pigs destined for slaughter
Piglet a young pig of either sex
Sow a female pig, usually one that shows evidence of having produced pigs or one that is
obviously pregnant
Ventral the undersurface or belly of an animal
Weaning to make a young animal cease to depend on its mothers milk

INTEREST APPROACH:
Using the accompanied PowerPoint, show the Interest Approach collage to the class. Without
divulging the nature of the lesson, have the students determine what each image has in
common. Inform the students to ask you Yes or No questions to aid in the discovery process.
If needed, supply the class with hints. Once the class determines the images in the collage are
part of the pork industry, use the PowerPoint to explain to the class how the images are related.

TEACHING CONTENT:
Objective 1: Identify key terms associated with pork production
Explain to the students that within any industry, a certain language, or jargon, is used.
Understanding this language will increase the students creditability within that industry. In
addition, explain that the class will use the same industry language to enhance their
knowledge and skills. The language used will include:
Boar a mature male pig, typically used as part of a breeding program
Gilt an immature female, who has not given birth
Sow a mature female pig who has given birth
Barrow a male pig that has been castrated
Piglet a young pig that is still nursing
Farrow the process of giving birth

Possible Teaching Method: The corresponding PowerPoint, titled The Pork Industry at a
Glance, contains these key words. In the PowerPoint, the words and definitions do not
match. Pair the students together and have them match the words to the definitions. Give
them two minutes to complete the activity. Have students supply the correct matches to the
class. Reinforce with the PowerPoint.
Objective 2: Discuss the economic impact of the pork industry as it pertains to the United
States and the global market

100 Years of Change

Like any industry, U.S. pork production has changed significantly over the past
100 years.

In years past, pig production was more a fact of life than an industry. In
fact, the pork market then was virtually non-existent, and the quality of
animals and pork products was far from what it was today.

Through the early 1900s pigs could be found on virtually every farm in the
United States. Animals were raised outdoors and were typically grown for
the producers own family to consume.
In the 1930s, the number of U.S. hog farms began to decline, and in a
period of 30-plus years, they fell from 3.6 million hog farms to 0.6 million
farms.
Multi-site production became much more prevalent during the 1980s and
1990s and with the change came specialized labor requirements. A
caretaker no longer could do all the jobs on the farm but rather
specialized in one or two tasks, for example acting as a farrowing room
technician birthing piglets; or acting as a breeding technician who
inseminates sows on a daily basis.

As the number of pig farms continued to fall in early 2000, producers

moved production indoors in order to improve their ability to produce
pork while providing the best care for their animals. This strategy allowed
for the implementation of production practices that reduced risks due to a
lack of control over a pig's outdoor environment. Improvements in animal
well-being, health, nutrition, facilities and equipment resulted because
producers were better able to care for their animals.
In addition to the move from outdoor to indoor production, many
advances in technology and genetics occurred during the late 20th
century, which led to great increases in production as well as
improvements in pig health and well-being. The transition from small and
mid-sized farrow-to-finish operations to large, integrated, phasesegregated systems is mainly a result of economic and environmental
influencers. Labor issues also factor into the transition due to the everincreasing need for employees. In the integrated, phase-segregated
system, it is now more practical or economical to raise pigs for only one
phase of the production cycle versus all production phases.
Farms today:
Farms are highly specialized with their production
There are larger and fewer farms less than 100,000 however, as total
pork operations have decreased, total pork production has increased
Todays operations require many specialized, well-trained full-time
employees to make the system work
Pigs are raised in environmentally-controlled buildings for their safety
and overall well-being
Pigs are much leaner as a result of improved genetics, overall better care,
and higher quality feed
Unlike in the past, exports contribute significantly to todays U.S. pork
producers business

United States Market

Pork is the most widely eaten meat worldwide. Because of the high demand for
pork, the United States is the third largest producer of pork in the world.

U.S. pork producers are among the most efficient in the world.
Today, the U.S. pork industry is smarter, stronger, and increasingly more
sensitive to the needs of its customers both at home and across the
globe.
No one has more on the line when it comes to responsible and ethical
animal production than U.S. pork producers.
The top five pork-producing states in the U.S. are Iowa, North Carolina,
Minnesota, Illinois, and Indiana. While pork operations exist in all of the
contiguous United States, these top five states produce over 65 percent of
the United States market.

Regionally, pork production occurs in three main areas, the Midwest,

North Carolina, and the Panhandle region of Texas and Oklahoma.

The U.S. pork industry as a whole produces the highest-quality, safest

pork in the world. This has been accomplished as a result of producers
commitment to responsible practices and continual advancement. From
animal care and the environment, to food quality and safety, the pork
industry as a long-standing record of doing the right thing in producing
pork.
Global Market
In 2008 alone, U.S. Pork exports grew by 49 percent. Also in 2008, the
equivalent of one of every five hogs produced in the U.S. was exported. Industry
analysis estimates that in 2006, pork exports added as much as $22 (15% of a
$150 total sale price) to the price of each U.S.-produced pig.
Japan is the largest importer of pigs produced in the United States.
Today, China continues to hold the position as top pork-producing country in the
world.
The EU-27 is the second largest producer, before the third top producer in the
world, the United States.

Possible Teaching Method: Bring in an agricultural economist to discuss pork industry

trends. Alternatively, instead of an agricultural economist, ask a pork producer to discuss
how world market trends effect local management decisions.
Objective 3: Determine the pork production cycle

Breeding and Gestation

1st phase of production
Gestation period is 114 days (three months, three weeks, three days)
Three breeding techniques:
Artificial Insemination (AI)
o This technique does not require a boar to be physically present at
the time breeding occurs; instead, reproduction begins when a
skilled technician, using specialized tools and pre-packaged semen
previously collected from the boar, inseminates the female
o AI is the most commonly used method by producers
Pen Mating
o Pen mating occurs when a boar (or boars) are placed in a pen with
one or more female pigs
Hand Mating
o In this technique, one boar is placed with one sow and
observed/assisted by a technician to make sure mating occurs
successfully

Farrowing
2nd phase of production, involves caring for newborns
Sows are placed in stalls designed to protect them, the piglets and the workers
The first three to four days after birth is an important time for observation and
caring for the piglets
An average litter size is 8 to 12 piglets with each piglet weighing 2 to 4 pounds at
birth
Nursery
3rd phase of production
This is the first stage in which piglets are by themselves
Piglets are weaned, or removed from their source of milk, at two to four weeks old
Each weaned pig (aka weaner pig) will weigh 10 to 15 pounds
During this phase, special diets are designed to optimize pig growth
This phase lasts until pigs are 8 to 10 weeks old or about 40 to 60 pounds
Growing/Finishing
4th and final stage of production
Pigs are considered finished when they reach market weight (about 240 to 300
pounds)
Pigs are fed many different diets during this time to help maintain health and
growth

Possible Teaching Method: At the end of the section, use Phases of Production to reinforce the
content for this objective. An alternative teaching method is to show the image of the four
phases of production in the PowerPoint. Using any available resources (i.e., Internet, books,
students with a pork production background), have the students determine the importance of
each phase and what occurs in each phase. Direct them by asking questions such as, How
much should pigs weigh during this phase? or What are the three breeding techniques used
in the pork industry? If you choose to use the alternative teaching method, the Activity # 1
worksheet can then be used as a guide.

PHASES OF PRODUCTION
Name: _______________________________
Student Activity

Directions
Answer the questions below about the production phases.

Breeding and

Farrowing

Nursery

Gestation

Growing/
Finishing

Questions
1.

Which phase of production lasts until the pigs are 8 to 10 weeks old?

2.

Describe the three most commonly used breeding techniques.

3.

What is the average litter size?

4. What is the average market weight of a finished pig?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Directions
Use the questions below to facilitate class discussions about the pork industry.
These questions will act as a review before the quiz is distributed. If you choose,
you can integrate the questions throughout the lesson to facilitate a class discussion
as well.

Class Activity

Questions
1.

Before being exposed to this industry-related lesson, what was your perception of
the pork industry?

2.

Has your perception changed after participating in this lesson? If so, how?

3.

How do you think the public perceives the pork industry?

4.

What can the industry do to change that perception?

5.

How do you think the pork industry will change over the next fifty years? What will
drive this change?

6.

If it takes 114 day to finish a pig, how many cycles could be completed in one year?

The Pork Industry at a Glance

Quiz
Name: _______________________________
Directions: Answer the following questions by choosing the best answer.
Matching:
1. _____ Weaning

A. Normal-delivery of one or more live,

stillborn, or mummified pigs, on or after

the 110th day of pregnancy

2. _____ Gestation
3. _____ Breed

B. A female that has arrived in the breeding

4. _____ Ventral

herd but has not yet been mated

5. _____ Dorsal

C. Pertaining to the back or upper surface

of an animal

6. _____ Boar

D. Animals of the same breed have similar

7. _____ Barrow

color patterns, physical characteristics,

and behavior

8. _____ Gilt
9. _____ Sow

E. A mature male pig used as breeding

stock

10. _____ Farrowing

F. The process of making a young animal

cease to depend on its mothers milk

G. A male pig that has been castrated
H. Period of pregnancy, or time between

service and the subsequent farrowing, or

abortion (the day of service is counted as
day 0)
I.

A female pig, usually one that shows

evidence of having produced pigs or one
that is obviously pregnant

J. The undersurface or belly of an animal

Multiple Choice:
1. During which stage of pork production are the piglets by themselves for the first time?
A. Breeding
B. Farrowing
C. Nursery
D. Growing/Finishing
4. During the past 50 years, much has changed in the pork industry. Which statement best

represents this change?

A. In order for farms to be profitable in todays economy, most produce a variety of

products.
B. Today, there are more pork operations than ever before, but they produce less

pork.
C. The majority of pork production today occurs in open lots and outside pastures.
D. To meet consumer demands, pigs are leaner today as compared to those 5o years

ago.
5. Which statement is correct?
A. In early 2000, many pork producers moved their operations indoors in order to

improve their ability to produce pork while providing the best care for the
animals.
B. Pigs are fed the same diet during the growing/finishing stage.
C. Pork production in the United States is a $12 billion a year industry.
D. To increase their efficiency, todays pork operations must hire more part-time

employees with broad skills, rather than full-time employees with

specialized skills
6. Why are four of the top five pork-producing states located in the Midwest?
A. Midwest weather is ideal for producing large numbers of pigs.
B. Corn and soybeans are readily available for feed use.
C. Farms in the Midwest are larger than farms in other areas of the country.
D. None of the above is correct.

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7. The correct order of the pork production cycle is:

A. Farrowing, Breeding, Nursery, Growing/Finishing
B. Farrowing, Growing/Finishing, Nursery, Breeding
C. Breeding, Nursery, Farrowing, Growing/Finishing
D. Breeding, Farrowing, Nursery, Growing/Finishing
8. Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world. What does this mean for producers?
A. There is a strong demand for pork, so production will continue to increase.
B. There is a weak demand for pork, so production will decrease.
C. Production will remain the same.
D. Producers should diversify and produce more than just pork.
9. Which statement is correct?
A. It is very uncommon for a pork operation to specialize in only one or two phases

of production.
B. During farrowing, most piglets weigh four to six pounds.
C. The nursery phase lasts until the pigs are about eight to ten weeks old.
D. Weaning is the process of moving pigs to the growing/finishing production phase
10. Which breeding technique do producers use the most?
A. Artificial insemination
B. Pen mating
C. Hand mating
D. All the methods are used equally

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Quiz Answer Key

Matching:
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Multiple Choice:
1. C
2. D
3. A
4. B
5. D
6. B
7. C
8. D
9. B
10. A

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