Odorless Pork Production: From
Conception to Market
PAUL SMART, Manager
Paul Smart Hog Farm
Lawrence, Kansas
ROSS E. McKINNEY, Professor
Civil Engineering Department
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
The world is faced with an ever increasing population and an ever increasing
food demand. One of the most critical food demands is for high quality meat protein. In recent years efforts have been made to increase animal protein production
through more scientific methods such as better feeds, better breeding stock, controlled environments, and concentrated feedlots. The success of the feedlot for beef
cattle has changed the pattern of raising beef in the United States.
By and large pork production has been a seasonal operation for most farmers,
more of a sideline than a full time occupation. It has been possible to meet the pork
needs without intensified animal growing. But the future indicated that a change was
needed. Initially, the change came in providing farrowing houses for a better environment during birth and weaning of the baby pigs. The farrowing houses gave the
farmer a place to control the loss of the raw material and permitted a greater financial return. But beyond the farrowing house, there was little concern for concentrated hog growing to compare with the beef cattle feedlot.
In the summer of 1965 a project began to take shape that was to result in a
major hog growing operation which would set the pattern for a new concept in
producing pork. It was proposed that a complete animal confinement system be
constructed near Lawrence, Kansas, which would yield 10,000 marketable hogs per
year. This confined hog system was designed to provide the optimum environment
for the animals from conception to market. At no time would the animals be outside
of carefully controlled conditions.
Since experience was lacking in the design of total hog confinement systems, it
was necessary to make extensive trips to examine the best technology that was
available. This entailed trips not only throughout the United States and Canada; but
also to several countries in Europe. These trips generated many new ideas. One thing
was apparent; no one had fully solved the problem of manure disposal. The disposal
of hog manure was a serious problem in 1965. The best method for disposal was
collection in a pit beneath the animals and periodic removal with land spreading.
Odor nuisances created by the hog manure, especially during removal and spreading,
required location a considerable distance from other people. Unfortunately, the site
selected for the Paul Smart Hog Farm near Lawrence was near a major highway for
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