Animal Handling

On our farm, we take great pride in the level of care that we provide to the animals that we raise.  Every team member that works with our pigs undergoes a special course that includes an extensive training program mixed with group discussions and brainstorming of new ideas early in their career with the company. This program has been instrumental in helping to ensure that our animals are treated with the respect and compassion that they deserve, and that they are not fearful of the humans that interact with them. It is the belief of our company that providing top-notch care is the only way to raise animals.

 

Antiobiotic Use

On our farm, antibiotic use is NOT routine, but is rather targeted when pigs are exposed to illnesses or when pigs are sick.  Strict bio-security and sanitary practices are always the first line of defense and using antibiotics is something we do very judiciously. Medication, such as antibiotics, poses an added cost to the farmer, so naturally we use as little as possible, but we want to do the right thing for the animal should that circumstance arise.

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Farmers work closely with veterinarians to decide which antibiotics are appropriate, and we only use antibiotics approved by the FDA to treat our animals.  Our farm, as well as the pork industry as a whole, has adopted the Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Plus program, which is a training program for farm staff to be trained in the handling and withdrawal times of antibiotics laid out by FDA. Appropriate use of antibiotics is essential to ensure the health and well-being of our animals and is of equal importance for food safety to the consumers who purchase our foods. We believe that treating our sick animals is the right thing to do and that in doing so, we are practicing correct animal welfare practice.