Cooper Farms, Oakwood, Ohio, completed its newest addition, Grand Republic Sow Farm, situated in Edgerton, Ohio. The new farm will be home to just under 6,000 mother pigs, which will give birth to 150,000 piglets per year.

The farm will also provide 20 full-time jobs and use over 180,000 bushels of corn purchased from local farmers each year.

“We have had the opportunity to grow our hog division, which led us to the construction of this new sow farm,” says Jim Cooper, chief executive officer. “We will also be working with over 30 local farmers to raise the hogs from this farm.”

Grand Republic utilizes group pen gestation for sow housing and an electronic feeding system. This system allows the sows to have free movement in a group setting, while providing individualized feeding information about each sow. The electronic tags provide information about how much each sow is eating and drinking, allowing the farm team to still tend to sows’ individual needs.

“This farm has a real focus on efficiency and animal care,” says Kevin Stuckey, sow division manager. “New technology and small design changes throughout the farm will make a big difference.”

The farm will be landfill-free upon completion and design adjustments throughout the farm improve energy efficiency. For the safety of team members, scales were built into the legs of the feed bins, allowing the mill to know feed volumes without having someone climb a bin.