An Economic Analysis of Pork Production in Hoop and Confinement Facilities: A Winter Comparison

This report is part of an ongoing research project that is being conducted at the Iowa State University Rhodes Research Farm. This research is aimed at comparing two swine finishing facility types under a wide range of circumstances. This report provides results from a group of pigs finished during the winter season of 2000–2001. The evolution of the swine industry has forced industry members to reevaluate their operations and utilize an increasing amount of risk management. A survey conducted in May of 2001 showed that hoop buildings are becoming an increasingly important part of the swine industry. Hoop buildings became widely available in 1995 or 1996 and have grown to represent 4% of the market hogs finished in Iowa