Summary of Key Points
This report reveals the "dual-faced" reality of modern intensive pig farms through the real experiences of several pig farmers. On one hand, there is the cruel truth that pigs are treated as mere production tools—stereotyped behaviors, diseases, and a culling system. On the other hand, there are the complex emotional bonds between farmers and their pigs. The report also exposes the industry's risks of outbreaks, cost pressures, and the widespread lack of animal welfare, ultimately depicting a relationship between humans and pigs that is both intimate and distant in a confined environment.
I. The Pigs on the Farm: Intelligent but "Forced" Lives
Many people think of pigs as being "stupid and dirty," but farmers have found them to be quite intelligent. For example, pigs can recognize individuals—after working with Chen Yu for a while, the pigs would gather around him to sniff him; they can be cunning, pretending to eat feed to avoid injections, and some even avoid the needles. There is also a sense of social order among them; pigs without a spot at feeding time will wait quietly instead of fighting over food.
However, the living conditions do not match their intelligence: each fattening pig has only 0.8 square meters of space, and sows are confined in "gestation crates" where they can barely turn over. The monotonous environment leads to stereotyped behaviors such as tail biting and bar chewing, and hanging a beverage bottle as a toy provides some relief. The fate of the pigs is even more brutal: weak piglets (weighing less than 1.6 pounds at birth) are often killed, sick pigs are not treated, fattening pigs are sold after 180 days, and sows, after giving birth five to eight times, also end up in the slaughterhouse.
As one intern farmer said, "Sadness and fear can be seen in the eyes of most pigs, except for those sows that have never given birth; they have not yet experienced the pain of childbirth and the cycle of reproduction."
II. The Farmers: Emotional Struggles in a Confined Environment
Working on a pig farm is far from just feeding pigs:
- Daily Routine and Risks: Chen Yu is responsible for 3,200 pigs, checking pens, feeding them, and administering injections, once even accidentally injecting himself with medication.
- Emotional Contradictions: Xiao Cheng chose animal husbandry because he loves animals but fears killing them; after curing a pig, he would never see it again as it is sent to the slaughterhouse. Hu Xin tried to keep a weak pig named Wang Qi but eventually watched it be taken to a fattening farm and stopped caring about its fate, saying, "It's not a child; it's just food."
- Confinement: The farms are located in remote areas with little social interaction, and farmers can only pass the time on their phones after work. Chen Yu prefers to eat takeout when on vacation, while Xiao Cheng feels that the sacrifice of freedom for a salary of 5,000 yuan is not worth it.
While they care for the pigs meticulously (remembering each sow's preferences and even dressing them), they must carry out culling procedures. This dichotomy leads many to leave their jobs; for instance, Hu Xin switched careers due to her fear of being seen as a "executioner," and Chen Yu left after only four months.
III. The Pig Farming Industry: "Scale" Driven by Outbreaks and Costs
Pig farms are becoming more like fortresses, largely due to the African swine fever outbreak. In 2018, when it reached China, a farm in Henan lost 6,000 sows and 10,000 piglets, with workers having to bury the dead pigs in deep pits. Since then, farms have become highly secure:
- Soaring Prevention Costs: Farms have moved to remote areas, vehicles are disinfected, and personnel are quarantined. Some even use steam chambers to kill viruses.
- Small Farmers Fail: Small-scale farmers lack the funds to improve facilities and often go bankrupt in an outbreak, leaving only large corporations to survive.
- Inverted Costs: In July 2026, pork prices were 11.2-11.4 yuan per kilogram, but costs exceeded 12 yuan, resulting in losses for each pig raised. This is why farms are reluctant to improve conditions: "If we can't even recoup our costs, where will the money come from for animal welfare?"
Although scale has increased efficiency, it has also standardized the fate of pigs: pigs are produced in batches and sold as soon as they are born, with no exceptions.
IV. Animal Welfare: Idealistic but Realistic
European pork comes with "welfare labels," allowing consumers to choose pigs that live in larger pens and have toys, but in China, it is still in the initial stages of advocacy:
- Few Pilot Attempts: Some farms allow sows to live in larger pens before giving birth and provide them with hay and wooden blocks as toys, but these are the exception.
- The Reality for Most Farms: Gestation crates prevent fights and miscarriages, and killing weak pigs saves on labor (since manually feeding them results in high mortality rates). These are economic decisions that ignore the pigs' needs.
- Farmers' Powerlessness: Farmers know that pigs need space and toys, but their opinions matter little. Farm managers consider costs, and corporate entities control drug quotas, so no one dares to make exceptions.
For example, when Chen Yu saw a pig escape from its pen and lie on the playground, he realized that although the temperature-controlled pens are more comfortable, the pigs prefer to huddle together in the cold—because they simply cannot escape.
V. The Relationship Between Humans and Pigs: Blurred but Clear
The relationship between farmers and pigs is complex:
- Blurred Emotions: Xiao Cheng trains piglets to jump through hoops and takes them for walks; Chen Yu writes names for his favorite piglets; Hu Xin takes photos of sows with uterine ruptures and posts, wondering how such obedient animals could end up in this situation.
- Clear Boundaries: No matter the emotional connection, pigs are ultimately considered food. Hu Xin kept Wang Qi but still had to send it to a fattening farm; Chen Yu cured a pig only for it to be slaughtered later.
- An Inescapable Cycle: Farmers care for pigs so they can sell them healthy, and pigs exist to provide protein. This utilitarian relationship makes farmers both sympathetic and indifferent.
After leaving the farm, Chen Yu wanted to raise pet pigs, which Xiao Cheng considered crazy—but isn't that a form of compensation for what the pigs have endured?
This report does not shout slogans; it presents these facts through detailed accounts of the lives of pigs, the struggles of farmers, and the heavy burdens imposed by the industry. Every bite of pork we consume carries these unknown stories.