This is the cover of Successful Farming Magazine for May, 1952. Notice where the sows are? They're living outside. The tractor's moving the house to new ground. That's successful farming!
Here's how the caption describes the picture:
"It's pasture time on the Williamson farm in Indiana. The first to go are the sows and pigs. Right behind them are the houses, feeders and waterers. Willimson likes to have the farrowing houses close at hand for winter farrowing, but pasture gets the nod for late-spring and fall pigs. They're farrowed right out on the alfalfa-brome-Ladino pasture.
Pictured on this month's cover is one of Williamson's individual-type farrowing houses being moved from the winter location to pasture. The pigs seen in this picture were farrowed in early April. After weaning, the pigs are shifted to range houses, making the individual houses available for June-farrowed pigs.
The pastures are rotated each year as a precaution against disease. ...All equipment, including feeders, waterers, and houses, is on skids and can be easily moved."
Here are pictures of sows in the current method used on most hog farms...Is this what successful farming looks like today?
That link to modern farming practices for sows makes me so sad. I love bacon but I can't see how anyone thinks that is okay to do to animals, even ones for food. Super sad face 🙁