Quote:
Originally Posted by CK25Hulk
Forum Readers,
In early spring, hopefully March I'd like to get a few feeder pigs. I'm curious to know of the collective here on this site what a good breed or cross 1st feeder pig would be? I have read various pig books recommended on this site and if it were my choice I would choose a few Tamworth's. Maybe for personal reasoning or due to their color I like, but this may not be a good 1st choice for me. For one I'm having a bit of difficulty finding a Tamworth breeder who also wants to sell feeder piglets. I have come across several crosses but nothing pureblood.
Also most of the textbooks read that you butcher in 3-4 months of purchase of 40-70lb feeder pigs. With this being the case if purchasing feeders in March I could butcher around summer and then late summer get another batch to butcher late fall?? Is this true.
It may help to know how I would like to raise these feeder pigs. I have fenced off an area 90 x 120 with no horse climb fencing, 5"-6" / 7' treated round posts set every 8'. I plan to put a 9 joule fence charger with 2 strings of hot wire. The housing is a small port-a-hut. The land is sloped with flat spots here or there. The feeder and waterer are still up in the air as to what I will do. I'd like a feeder that I can drop a couple hundred lbs of feed in and check on them every 2-3 days. As for the waterer probably get a plastic drum with a nipple/paddle.
I'd like to raise these to about 200-250lbs prior to slaughter. Lastly I assume a feed difference would be the only difference if I increased to 3 pigs instead of 2?
Thanks for your input
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Yorkshire, Hampshire, Duroc breeds would all be excellent table fair. In your post you said you were looking for purebred. I would go with a cross if all you're going to do is slaughter them. Yes, if you were housing breeding stock, etc I would want the purest blood my money could buy, but you're going to eat them and the frying pan isn't going to care if they were pureblood or not.
As far as the waterer, a drum with a nipple will work great!
The electric fence will work nicely, and at 9 joules, you won't have to worry about them getting into it but a couple of times. Once pigs know their perimeter, they don't normally try to get out. Mine are absolutely terrified of my electric fence; it's very hot. Once trained to it, you probably won't have any problems, unless the fence goes out or something.
As far as feeding from feeder to slaughter, plan on about 2.5-3 to one ratio. I usually use 3 to 1 ratio for figuring my feed. That means if you get a feed that was 70 pounds and you want him to weigh (live weight) of 250, then you're going to put about 400-500 pounds of feed into him. Also, you need to allow 6 months to grow him out properly, 3-4 months is just rushing it too much. Also garden scraps produce, excess milk, produce, and hay are great ways to grow them out without breaking the bank buy commercial feeds.
Good Luck!
