Animal Care

Animal Welfare is Our Top Animal Care Priority
Our ultimate goal is to produce healthy, well-cared for pigs and provide the highest quality product to our packers. We do this through daily observation, which allows us to assess our herds and evaluate their health, nutrition, and the barn environment.

Treatment and Care
All pigs are cared for by Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) trained and certified caregivers. Our daily care routine ensures that pigs always have access to fresh feed and water, as well as a comfortable environment in which to live and grow.
Diet and Nutrition
JWV works closely with swine nutritionists to create a specially-formulated diet of corn, soybeans, amino acids, fat and other ingredients. Pigs will advance through several diet phases to properly meet the needs of their bone and muscle development.


Barn Conditions
Advancements in technology have given us the opportunity to finetune the environments in which the pigs live. Every barn is equipped with heating and cooling systems to keep pigs comfortable through every Iowa season. Automated ventilation controllers adjust the humidity and temperature within the barn to provide a comfortable area for the pigs to grow. Feed systems run on automated auger lines within the pen and water lines run to each pen so pigs will always have access to fresh feed and water. Slatted flooring helps remove manure to keep all pens clean and dry. Manure is stored until it can be incorporated into crop land as part of a farm’s nutrient management program.
We Care for Our Community, Pigs, and the Environment
Animal care is just one of the core pillars that helps us ensure JWV is operating in a safe, productive, and humane way.