Interested in Guinea Hogs

[Gaea Star]

I am considering what kind of pigs to raise when we get set up on our land and was wondering what breed would be best to raise for a small homestead. The Guinea Hogs I have found interesting because they are meant to be raised on pasture. What other breeds are likely to do well. I am in the Oklahoma area. The land in question is near Tulsa. Any suggestions or helpful hints would be nice thank you.

[Levonsa]

Gaea, the Guinea Hogs are great homestead pigs. If they are only grazing and foraging, it takes them a while to reach a good butcher weight, but it is worth the wait. We had our first one processed earlier this summer and have been very pleased with it. We also have a KuneKune boar and are doing crossbreeding with him. The crosses are growing off faster than the pure AGH and graze a lot more. We will process the first two of those sometime next spring. These are very friendly and easy to care for. Good luck.

[Mare Owner]

There are several folks on here raising other breeds on pasture, Red Wattles, Tamworth, Large Blacks to name a few.

I raise Guineas and think they are excellent homestead type pigs. They are slower growing, but also don't require large amounts of feed. Many do graze very well, mine especially love to graze in the alfalfa field, but they will root in the pasture in spots.

[stanley]

I raise Guinea Hogs as well as Tamworths on open pasture The Guinea Hogs are great especially for small homesteads They are easier to handle than the larger hogs If you want a breeding pair/trio to keep I would suggest Guineas and sell the excess weanlings. If you want to buy weanlings to finish & process I would suggest a larger breed just remember a Factory Hog has been bred for a high protein diet not grazing.
If you have a lot of room and love pigs the larger ones work out well breeding and selling on a open pasture just buy good pasture raised stock for best results

[Gaea Star]

Thanks for the replies you two. We will likely go with Guinea Hogs then.

[OregonGuys]

We raise American Guinea Hogs in Oregon and have found them to be ideal for our homestead. Given that we do not use a gas powered lawnmower to manage our grass, they are the only animal on our farm we trust in the orchard to mow the grass and eat the fallen fruit. Cows, goats, and sheep will strip the leaves, branches and bark off the trees, quickly killing them. Their smaller size allows them to efficiently graze solely on grass and clover. Rarely do we feed them grain products. Feeding them commercial feed tends to fatten them too much and can result in fertility problems. Their dark hair and skin allow for them to graze during the brightest of days with little risk of sunburn. They root very minimally and usually only at the end of winter when grass is limited. In all, we do very little with our pigs...No castrations, no vaccinations, infrequent hoof trimmings(once 2-4 years). Breeding pairs are very easy to keep. Both the boars and sows are very friendly and love their bellies rubbed. A wallow for warm days and a simple structure to get them out of the rain/snow, good access to grass, clover or high quality hay, along with a single strand of electric are all that is need to keep these guys in a pasture.
Practicing permaculture, we could not imagine our farm without this particular breed of hog.

http://cascademeadowsfarm.com/americanguineahog.html

YouTube

YouTube

[10thmuse]

Hello!

I am looking for a gilt or sow to have and breed every other year.
Do folks offer breeding services for the hogs?

Or is there a more "remote" procedure you would recommend?