wild hog pot belly cross?

[GBov]

Saw some at the farmers market but managed to resist the wee little things but at $20 each I was really tempted and as he said he usually has them there have almost gone back a time or two for a couple. Esp. as the cheapest piggy I can find round here is $55 that price is tempting.

I know that they will be a small pig but for a first time pig keeper that might not be a bad thing.

Anyone ever had a cross like that? Or have any opinions on it?

[mitchell3006]

They might be cute but I honestly don't think they would be worth keeping. They would have very little meat based on the PB side of the family. The feral side could produce some meat but they tend toward to be a little lean when pen-raised. I would look on Craigslist or check the local livestock sales. Before long the sows will start dropping and price will come down. Just have patience.

[HeritagePigs]

$55 is not a high price. Pretty cheap, IMO, for a standard hog piglet.

[GBov]

Having read a bit about PBP they seem to have quite a fatty meat so by mixing the tending tward lean feral pig to the fatty PBP it should - in theory - make a smallish pig with nice fat but not too much of it.

Well, that's what I thought anyway lol.

And while $55 isn't a bad price for a pigglet its not just one, is it? Being a social animal we need two at least so $40 for two versus $110.

But then again, smaller pig equals less pork...................

I had really hoped that someone actually had experience with this cross so I could get some real info instead of educated guesses

[Ryan NC]

I agree that $55 isn't bad for a piglet that been cut/shots/etc, as far as PB's go I'm going to simply leave it at this:
Pot Bellies?
Eating Pot Belly Pigs – How I Do it.

Can't help with the cross but I hate to say it but don't knock it if you ain't tried it folks...

[HeritagePigs]

I have had PBPs and feral / York crosses. The PBPs were much too fatty and ended up as bratwurst. The feral / York crosses were incredibly thin even with the York blood. I sold them as they just would not put on weight.

So while my experience isn't exactly what you were asking about I cannot recommend either PBPs or feral crosses for pork hogs.

[Mare Owner]

I have one PBP and some of her piglets crossed with one of my Guinea boars. No experience with feral hogs. From my experience with PBP's, they will not grow fast and they will get fatty. My butcher said the PBP's he's done have all been fattier than my Guineas (and Guineas are a lard hog). My PBP is also kinda flighty and much more standoffish than the Guineas.

If the price is right and you've got some cheap feed (ie. garden and kitchen scraps) they should be easy to keep fed and hogs are always entertaining. Half of why I have hogs is for the entertainment of watching them just be hogs, that in itself is worth their expense. I'd give the cross a try if they look like good healthy piglets.

[haypoint]

Read up on psudorabies. Domestic hogs don't have it, some wild hogs do. It is wise to keep domestic hogs away from wild hogs. You don't want to bring disease to your farm.

[GBov]

My farm I WISH! LOL More like a pen at a friends place due to ordinances forbidding anything nice but whilst you can have a stealth chicken, stealth pigs are a bit harder!

Its funny you say that about not fattening Heritage Pig. Last year I was buying wild hogs off of a man not too far from our last house. He trapped feral hogs, penned them up and fed them till they sold.

Granted the meat didnt LOOK like it had much fat in it but it sure tasted good and there was plenty of fat to skim off the cooking juices so the fat was there, just not in layers like a normal hog.

I think, if he is there next month, we will try some of them. They looked like little black bricks with feet and at least with pigs, they are good to eat at any size so if they are not fattening or growing or easy to work with, into sausage they will go.

Thanks so much for all your help guys, this is a big step as they will be our first pigs ever

[GBov]

Thank you so much for the links Ryan, have finally gotten time to read them and they confirm what I thought.

Small pigs are good meat too lol.

[Rogo]

=== The PBPs were much too fatty and ended up as bratwurst. ===


The pet PBP is a lard pig.

The PBP raised outside and fed like a pig should be, is a bacon pig.


From http://www.windridgefarm.us/

Click on "Pot Belly Pigs" and learn :o)

"The meat is also so lean that, if I want to make burgers, I have to add fat."

[happydog]

I think with the PBP's it really comes down to how the pig is raised. If it's been raised as a pet, stuffed with restaurant scraps and bread, and/or kept in a small pen, it's gonna be fatty.

If, however, it's raised on a pasture and/or given an appropriate diet - it can be some good eating.

For $40 I'd be tempted to give them a shot. At the very least, if you hate them you'll have learned enough about keeping pigs to be worth the price.