A Passion for Pigs
June 21, 2024
Written By Adam Buckallew
Donnie Hays has been farming since his feet could touch the tractor pedals. The sixth-generation farmer works with his father, Todd, and uncle, David, on the family’s Ketsenburg-Hays Farms in Monroe City, Mo.
Donnie manages the family’s farrow-to-finish sow operation. He spends much of his time caring for sows and their piglets, taking care of breeding and ensuring the animals stay healthy and happy.
The Hayses are independent pork producers who raise about 625 sows, or mother pigs, that deliver two to three litters of piglets per year. Litters typically consist of seven to 12 piglets weighing about two to three pounds each at birth. Each piglet is nurtured until it reaches 30 to 40 pounds. The piglets are then sent to a finisher and fed for about six months until they reach a market weight of 300 pounds.
The pigs are raised in climate-controlled barns, which provide a warm, dry environment for the piglets and a temperature-controlled environment for the sows to rest.
“My family used to raise pigs outside, but we built barns in the 1990s to keep them out of the elements,” Donnie said. “We want to make the pigs as comfortable as possible. Some farmers raise their animals outside, and that works for them, and that’s great, but this is what works best for us.”
Living indoors protects the pigs from pests such as lice, ticks, worms and rodents. In addition to climate-controlled accommodations, the pigs get their own space to eat and relax, eliminating fights over food and water.
Indoor living is not only safer and more comfortable for the pigs but also for their handlers.
“The working conditions are better, and we can keep a closer eye on the pigs in the barn than we can in a field,” Donnie said. “We also don’t have to worry about tripping in a hole or getting run down by a hog.”
Dependable propane deliveries from MFA Oil ensure the family’s pigs stay comfortable and cozy. Donnie has served as an MFA Oil delegate for six years and enjoys representing his community in the cooperative.
“Propane is incredibly important for our sow operation, and the local staff do a great job of keeping up with all our needs,” he said. “We put monitors on our tanks a while back, which was a game-changer. It’s one less thing for us to worry about on the farm.”
Finding Fulfillment
Raising pigs is a labor of love passed from generation to generation in Donnie’s family. His grandfather, Gene Ketsenburg, started raising swine with his uncle, David Ketsenburg, and Donnie’s parents, Todd and Rosanne, joined the farm when they married in 1989. The family’s first hog confinement barn was built in 1994. A bigger building was added in 1997, providing enough space to bring all their hogs inside and off the dirt.
When Donnie sees shoppers buying bacon, pork chops or pork steaks at the local grocery store, he feels proud.
“They could be buying meat from one of the pigs we raised,” he said. “I feel a special sense of accomplishment from knowing I’m helping feed people.”
In addition to raising pigs, the farm includes 2,600 acres of corn and soybeans. The corn is used to feed the pigs while the soybeans are a cash crop. The family also grows about 28 acres of specialty corn called Jimmy Red that they sell to a local distillery.
While Donnie has dedicated much of his life to the farm, he briefly ventured beyond its borders to pursue higher education at Northwest Missouri State University, where he earned a degree in agricultural science. After graduating in 2014, he knew his calling was to return to the farm in Monroe City. That same year, he married his wife, Ashley. The couple now have a daughter, Thea (7), and a son, Madden (5).
“I’ve seen the passion that my dad and grandpa have shared in farming, and I am proud to follow in their footsteps,” Donnie said. “They’ve built a legacy of stewardship and sustainability that I want to ensure continues.”
Photo by Brie Ensor Photography