Aisle Insights: Creatures of Comfort

Animals and consumers benefit from care being a priority on the farm

By Aaron Putze, APR

We are creatures of comfort.

Heated bucket seats and steering wheels. Wireless internet paired with Alexa. Netflix and SiriusXM. Keurig coffee makers. Zero-gravity reclining beds. Remote start ignitions.

The list is endless. Because as creatures of comfort, we’re always searching for things – and ways of doing things – that make our lives more comfortable.

This is hardly a revelation.And it holds true for farmers, too.

I will forever remember the summer of 1978 when my dad pulled onto the farmyard driving his “new” Massey Ferguson 300 combine. It was a ‘73 model he discovered during a visit from our farm near West Bend to an implement dealer in Bancroft (rumor is he was offered a deal too good to pass up!).

The monstrous machine was a major upgrade to his two-row corn picker. In addition to the bright, orange paint and stepladder to the sky, the harvesting machine sported a cab. For the first time in his 30-plus years of farming, dad would harvest shielded from the dust, wind and cold. The thresher included a heater, air conditioner and AM/FM radio. His buttons nearly popped with the upgrade to his fleet of modest yet functional farm equipment. We all celebrated with him!

But my dad’s interest in creature comforts extended far beyond his personal well-being. Much of his time and attention focused on caring for his pigs and cattle. He loved being a farmer and always looked for new and better ways to raise his farm animals.

Much like the concept of the cab on his combine, protecting the livestock from the elements was essential for their comfort and well-being. Dad instinctively knew this. He was a farmer.

I witnessed this firsthand as a youngster during the few years I remember him raising pigs outdoors. The pasture, located directly south of our farmhouse, was home to dozens of pigs, feed pans and hog huts made from tin and wood and bedded with straw. Each hut was suitable for one grown pig, and during farrowing season, her litter of 8-10 piglets.

While the pigs enjoyed rooting around the pasture under fair skies and comfortable temps, the situation (and their moods) changed as quickly as the weather. It’s no secret that Iowa is prone to wild fluctuations in temperatures and precipitation. We experienced every weather condition possible on our Palo Alto County farm. Rain, heat, fog, sleet, cold, snow and a lot of wind – all could strike without warning (sometimes on the same day!).

Winters were especially brutal for raising pigs outdoors. Feeding pans overturned, waterers froze solid and gates drifted shut. Feed for the pigs was scattered by the wind or washed away. Bare ground was frozen solid, and wind-driven snow crept into the huts. Sleet peppered your face during chore time. Like their caretakers, the animals grew grouchy dealing with it all. Even worse, piglets that wandered away from their huts and protective warmth of their mothers often perished.

Dad wanted to do better. It began with transitioning from raising pigs largely outdoors to indoors. He designed and built a hog barn adjacent to the pasture for sows to farrow. It provided all the creature comforts animals need to thrive. Individual stalls protected piglets from other irritable and protective mothers while heat lamps provided added comfort during the long, cold winters. As piglets matured, feeders and waterers were situated in various locations throughout the cozy barn, allowing them continuous access to nutrition and hydration without ever having to step outside.

When the last cow left the farm, dad continued to evolve his approach to raising livestock by converting the spacious cattle barn into a facility ideal for raising pigs. He retrofitted the building with large, freeswinging wooden doors that could be raised or lowered depending on the time of year. During summer, they opened wide to optimize airflow through the building. When winter arrived, the doors were lowered, leaving about a three-foot gap between their bottom and the concrete floor. This permitted pigs to come and go as they pleased during the colder months, often roaming outside to feed before returning to the protective, deepbedded interior.

Dad did these things because he cared deeply about his animals.

Some things never change.

Fast-forward 40 years, and the same concepts apply, only with more advanced technologies and facilities used by farmers. Guided by a passion for caring for their livestock, most farm families have moved away from outdoor lots for raising pigs, cattle, turkeys and chickens, opting for climate-controlled barns.

This change offers more creature comforts for the animals and direct benefits for consumers. First, it provides the public with greater confidence and peace of mind knowing that farmers are doing things right for the animals. Second, better animal comfort and care translates to fewer mortalities and higher rates of gain. The combination reduces production costs and the prices consumers pay for beef, pork, eggs, turkey, cheese and milk.

As you travel Iowa this winter, know that the farms you pass – and the animals raised there – are benefiting from the same creature comforts that make our lives better off the farm. As it should be.

To view the full spread, view this magazine in your internet browser on your phone, tablet or desktop. This story is funded by the soybean checkoff.

Aaron Putze, APR, serves as Sr. Dir., Information and Education for the Iowa Soybean Association. He was raised on a farm near West Bend, is an author and speaker, and lives in Waukee with his wife Crystal and children Garrett, Grant and Jaelyn.