Donald C. Lay Jr. USDA

Publish Date: June 3, 2006

Pork producers in the United States who are looking for lower cost structures for raising pigs have shown a great deal of interest in hoop structures or hooped shelters as facilities for housing market or finishing pigs. Producers need to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of this type of housing. A number of manufacturers offer these units for sale, but little objective data are available to help producers decide if a hoop structure is a good investment. The information in this publication is intended to help producers and designers resolve some of the issues involved in using a hoop structure. The fact sheet discusses some of the management techniques that hoop structures require, and it presents economic factors that can be used to analyze the alternatives.

Publish Date: November 14, 2014

The most predominant method in the U.S. for euthanasia of non-viable piglets (less than 12 lbs.) is manually applied blunt force trauma (Ma-BFT). Manually applied blunt force trauma is one of several euthanasia techniques considered acceptable or conditionally acceptable by the American VeterinarybMedical Association (AVMA, 2013). However, Ma-BFT is being criticized on the basis of aesthetics, impacts on those performing the procedure, and ability to produce humane euthanasia consistency. Alternative methodologies to Ma-BFT will be discussed in this fact sheet, highlighting benefits and challenges of these methods, along with implementation techniques.