So We Wanna Raise A Pig or Two......

Horse Fork Farm · #1 02/12/08, 05:44 PM

I posted on the pig forum but theres not much traffic over there I think. Hope its ok to post it here too. We are going to try our hand at a couple hogs for the freezer this year. We have people lined up to help us at butchering time but I wanted advice from the folks here too! We've been reading a lot and learning that way and have talked to a couple of people who raise their own. Since we're first timers I want to ask here if anyone has advice or hints about breeds, feeding, diseases, pens etc... anything you think of that you wish you had known before YOU raised your first ones. I'm especially curious about breeds-- people around here keep talking about "Large red" hogs doing good for them, nobody calls them by an actual name. Someone said they liked Durocs someone else said spotted white...I'm getting confused!!!!!!! HELP!! (If you have time) Kathy

CGUARDSMAN · #2 02/12/08, 05:52 PM

i raised whites last summer. I just made sure they had food water and shade and a place to roll in the mud and they came out great! I moved their pen around so they could get at fresh grass. Even my dw who wasn't real thrilled that i had got them said they were easy and we will be doing that again.

Horse Fork Farm · #3 02/12/08, 06:09 PM

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm just afraid of losing one I guess. It helps to hear other peoples experiences about it. Did you have much smell to deal with or did moving them around cut it down a lot? I hadn't thought about putting them in a movable pen because there was a hog pen here when we bought the place. Thanks, Kathy

#4 02/12/08, 11:16 PM

I like to raise the long bodied white yorkies. I feel like I get a extra pork chop or two with them. Porkchops are my favorite.

The last time I raised any my wife was operating a bakery store and I got to bring home all the leftover donuts, cakes, cookies and such. I would have about a 5 gallon bucket full everyday to bring home to my two pigs and I think they were the best tasting pigs I ever ate. So if you have a local donut store nearby see if you can collect their waste for your pigs.

Beeman · #5 02/13/08, 07:18 AM

Raise what you can find locally. Just ask around feed stores, they know who's selling pigs. They will root and they will stink it's the nature of the beast. They will poo in one spot so it will be a concentrated stink. Start figuring now what you will feed and how you will butcher. It will not take long, which is why pigs were the homestead choice of meat, till they are ready to eat. Commercial feed works and it's easy but it's not getting cheaper.

BlueHeronFarm · #6 02/13/08, 07:28 AM

We are raising our first two now. One is big enough to go to freezer camp, but we're waiting for the other to catch up.

We have Hampshires. They are just what was available when we were looking. They are so easy to keep. We keep them in with hotwire, so the pen is movable. They are pretty dependent on us, so we also let them free range some days. Because they are food animals, we have not had to do any meds, vaccines, whatever. Just feed em, keep em in clean water and make sure they have a wallow to cool off in on sunny days. (Oh, and they have an a-frame for shelter) The smell is not too bad if you can keep moving the pen.

I highly recommend giving it a go. We have really enjoyed it. They have funny little personalities. As soon as little pig catches up and we can find a replacement pair, we'll get them off to the processor.

BillHoo · #7 02/13/08, 08:10 AM

I hear you have to have an electric fence around the pen, otherwise they will root under it and escape.

Yet, I also hear they can be trained like a dog and be housebroken. Maybe keep 'em in the garage and take them out for a walk every now and then.

homebirtha · #8 02/13/08, 08:51 AM

We have had really good luck with our hogs. We've raised Yorkshires, mostly because that's what we could find locally. Personally, I don't worry much about breed, since we're not breeding them. We just buy feeder pigs and grow them out to market weight. If we were going to keep some for breeding, I would be more concerned with what breed.

We fence ours with electric and it works great. They only have to get shocked once or twice before they know to stay away from the fence. They are very smart and not real inclined to escape, as long as they have food to eat. ;-)

We have also used hog panels to make a pen for them to move them through a garden area, or somewhere we want tilled up. We do this when they're smaller and move them every day or two. You'll know when they're too big for the moveable pen.

We feed a lot of milk, which makes the meat absolutely incredible. It's the best pork I've ever eaten.

Plan ahead for butchering day. We take ours to a local butcher, and moving them to the trailer has been the biggest challenge so far. Other then that, they're easy.

Have fun!

Horse Fork Farm · #9 02/13/08, 10:13 AM

Just curious what feeder pigs cost in other areas, what I've seen here runs between 35$ and 50$ a piece. Based on looking through the local paper and ad bulletin and the sale board at the State Ag website. Wonder which breeds are leaner and does it really matter that much? I can't wait to get started!!!

MullersLaneFarm · #10 02/13/08, 12:26 PM

We've raised hamps, durocs, blue butts, white crosses and Berkshires.

We went with Berks for keeping a sow & raising our own. The grain of the meat is different with Berks & we like it better.

fixer1958 · #11 02/13/08, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillHoo

I hear you have to have an electric fence around the pen, otherwise they will root under it and escape.

Yet, I also hear they can be trained like a dog and be housebroken. Maybe keep 'em in the garage and take them out for a walk every now and then.

They can be, but he was a potbellied. I don't know if they are different than a regular hog. I guess a hog is a hog??
We had this one for ten years and he was more of an obnoxious dog. They have a wide vocabulary as well as a personality. There main concern is whats in it for them, period. What have ya got to eat! They won't do anything without a payoff. When you have a communication going and they benefit from it, you can make them jump through hoops if your so inclined.
They will actually stay cleaner than dogs if given the chance.
Wallowing in the mud is more of a sun block because they can get badly sunburned.

Potbellies are prone for obesity and "Cyrus" got 1 handful of dogfood a day and any citrus and vegtable scraps we had.
If he wanted more he had to graze to find it. That includes flowers and freshly planted bushes, trees, etc. He freeranged 8 acres and lived in the garage with a dogdoor.
In the winter he got 2 handfuls. It had to be monitered because he would get so fat he could hardly get up.

The dogs food had to be barracaded so that they could get in and not him.
The dogs learned early on not to get between him and some food. He had no problem with grabbing one by the tail or ear to drag them out of the way.

He was really DW's pig from what he told me and was very vocal about it. I was not his favorite and the scars on my shins can prove that.
It was a love/hate relationship but we still miss him.
That's what I know about hogs.

I have been wanting to get a couple of feeder hogs and this is good info.

Beeman · #12 02/15/08, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heartstrings

Just curious what feeder pigs cost in other areas, what I've seen here runs between 35$ and 50$ a piece. Based on looking through the local paper and ad bulletin and the sale board at the State Ag website. Wonder which breeds are leaner and does it really matter that much? I can't wait to get started!!!

Time of year has a lot to do with price. I bought 2 pigs last june for $25 ea. They are usually $35 ea. but the woman had plenty and just wanted to sell them as she'd been feeding them and wanted to cut her losses. Find local homesteaders that got into breeding, they usually aren't making money and seem to pamper the animals more. In winter they are cheaper as demand is lower.

mwhit · #13 02/15/08, 08:21 AM

Pigs are easy to keep. As long as they have shelter, food and water they do fine. The ones I had this year were a challenge-- they were ornery and they didn't like me no matter what I did?? Hopefully, next year they won't escape, charge me, try to bite me etc. because well, I didn't enjoy feeling like I was living in the Hannibal movie.

Michelle

ETA: I paid $50 each for them in May.

missysid · #14 02/15/08, 09:39 AM

Sorry to jump in here but I have a quick question. What kind of garden items will pigs eat? We are getting two feeders and I hope to offset commerical feed with some items out of the garden. Such as tomatoes and peppers which we always have a ton of and I hate to admit it but they go bad before we can them all.

Kmac15 · #15 02/15/08, 09:46 AM

Whatever you grow well in your area (here it is squash) plant a few extra rows and the pigs will be sweeter for it.

Charleen · #16 02/15/08, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by missysid

Sorry to jump in here but I have a quick question. What kind of garden items will pigs eat? We are getting two feeders and I hope to offset commerical feed with some items out of the garden. Such as tomatoes and peppers which we always have a ton of and I hate to admit it but they go bad before we can them all.

We have given ALL garden produce to the pigs; tomatoes, peppers, squash, pumpkins, corn stalks, sunflower heads, old beans. Only problem we had was that by the time all this produce was ready, it was time to butcher. :1pig:

We've had Durocs, hamps and yorks. We liked them all and learn something new every year. Here's our simple set-up. We have 5 veg gardens and rotate the pigs into a new garden each year. This pic is from a couple years ago. Yes, there's an electric wire inside the panels.

So We Wanna Raise A Pig or Two...... - Homesteading Questions

So We Wanna Raise A Pig or Two...... - Homesteading Questions

missysid · #17 02/15/08, 04:38 PM

Ya I know that would be a problem using garden items when we want to butch in Sept/Oct/ Dang IL will not work right for me sometimes

But even it we only get 1 feeding total a week that is still something out of the feed bill. Every one in our area suggest Kent Feeds 16% for feeder pigs and the cost for us here is 9.68 for a 50lb bag. Still doing some checking though on different feeds and cost.

I wish we had a resturant or grocery store in this area that would hold leftovers or scraps. None of them will do it stating it is against the law and that the health department would close them down. Ugh! Even the bread store had a cart with a bag of bread for $1 that was labled animal feed. They made them do away with that even. Sometimes I get frustated that they would rather see it be wasted instead of being used.

UncleD · #18 02/15/08, 04:42 PM

Pigs are the easiest thing I've ever raised. They need water, food, and shelter. After that it can get as complicated as you want it to be. Never underestimate the value of a good tight pen, it will save you headaches in the long run.

mwhit · #19 02/15/08, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UncleD

Pigs are the easiest thing I've ever raised. They need water, food, and shelter. After that it can get as complicated as you want it to be. Never underestimate the value of a good tight pen, it will save you headaches in the long run.

I'll second that! I learned my lesson on that one last spring

Pigs are hard to catch...

Michelle

MWG · #20 02/16/08, 08:38 AM

Boy I am glad this thread got started!

I too was thinking of raising a pig along with my goats and sheep. If they have plenty of room to roam (13 acres with a creek) will they try to get out? Do they also eat grass? Will they kill the trees by rooting up all the roots?