Hoop barns & diets - shaping pig growth and quality

By Scout Nelson

In an insightful study by the University of Minnesota, researchers delved into the nuances of pig housing and feeding methods, focusing on hoop barns compared to traditional confinement barns, and the impact of feeding a low-energy, small grain-based diet.

This comprehensive research aimed to offer clarity on how these variables influence pig growth, carcass quality, and the economics of pig production.

Hoop barns, praised for their animal welfare-friendly environment and cost-efficiency, have gained popularity among Midwest pork producers.

Despite their benefits, these barns have been scrutinized for potentially hampering pig performance due to their reliance on large amounts of bedding and less controlled environments compared to their confinement counterparts.

The study revealed that pigs housed in hoop barns displayed growth rates similar to those in confinement when fed conventional corn-soy diets but exhibited higher feed consumption and less efficiency, leading to fatter carcasses.

Conversely, introducing a low-energy diet based on small grains slowed growth but enhanced carcass leanness in hoop barn-raised pigs, albeit at a higher feeding cost.

Over two trials, one in winter and one in summer, 848 mixed-sex pigs were observed under both housing conditions.

Results showed that while daily weight gains were comparable to first marketing between hoop and confinement housed pigs fed corn-soy diets, hoop barn pigs required more feed per unit of gain.

The alternative grain diet fed to hoop barn pigs resulted in lower daily weight gains and increased feed per unit of gain, underscoring the dietary impact on pig fattening.

Carcass data collected highlighted that hoop barn-raised pigs on conventional diets had marginally more backfat and a lower percentage of carcass lean compared to those in confinement.

The switch to alternative grains for hoop barn pigs improved carcass leanness, a positive shift attributed to the diet's lower energy content and the lighter carcasses at harvest.

An interesting facet of the study was the exploration of pork quality, which revealed no significant differences in eating quality between pigs raised in different housing systems or on different diets. 

This suggests that the choice of housing and diet might not impact the consumer's eating experience.

This study, underlining the economic and quality trade-offs of alternative pig housing and diets, provides valuable insights for producers weighing the benefits of animal welfare-friendly practices against cost and efficiency considerations.

Photo Credit: istock-srdjan-stepic