pig farming /production - can the nos of pigs being born be reduced ?

[peridito]

I know nothing about pig production ,though a quick google has led me to realise that it's more like a factory line and much crueller than I'd realised .

I get that as the pigs go past their date for slaughtering their size becomes a problem for dealing with them but is there a way in which production can be slowed down? I get the impression - maybe wrongly- that more and more pigs are coming on stream and piling up .

Apologies for total ignorance ,I do eat meat but like to distance myself from reality and the fact that it comes from living animals whose welfare is at odds with profits .

If you're a farmer , you have to predict demand in advance - piglets don't just pop out you have to plan when they will pop out, I think pregnancy is just short of 4 months, and around 10 per litter. Then piglets are grown on for about 6 months before slaughter. So a farmer has to guess demand almost a year in advance. Tricky.

Is this an over supply because we're not exporting as much as previously? Or for other reasons?

It’s not an oversupply of pigs. It’s a shortage of abattoir staff, butchers, meat packers and lorry drivers to get the pigs transported, slaughtered and onto the supermarket shelves. Just as farmers are having to leave tons of broccoli to rot in the fields or pay £30 an hour to lure reluctant pickers.

Thank you babdoc, that's v informative.

This really worries me, DH is dependent on Creon, a medication which is made from pig enzymes, he cannot be without it.

Thank you Airela ,that makes sense .

bloodywhitecat oh dear ,I can see why you're anxious .Is there a health forum ( Health Unlocked seems good )dealing with your husband's condition ? I bet it will have been raised .