decided wether to get a sow

[paddler]

i am thinking about getting a bred gilt this spring. i raise half a dozen feeders every summer and im thinking about keeping a sow around. i am wondering if the advantages of having a sow outweigh the hassles of having to keep another animal alive through a northern minnesota winter. i dont want to keep a boar around so i would have to do AI, ive never done it, is that a trick thats easy enough to learn? how much shelter does a sow need through the winter? do i need a shute to AI? i am curious for any opinions from anyone who has decided to keep one sow around for one or two litters a year. thanks. i appreciate it.

[rancher1913]

might be some more knowledgeable people on here as to AI because we use only boars, but its my understanding that a sow will not come into heat unless she is around a boar. most of the big pig outfits I know of keep a boar that they take for a stroll through the sows, then do the AI thing.

[gerold]

Originally Posted by paddler

i am thinking about getting a bred gilt this spring. i raise half a dozen feeders every summer and im thinking about keeping a sow around. i am wondering if the advantages of having a sow outweigh the hassles of having to keep another animal alive through a northern minnesota winter. i dont want to keep a boar around so i would have to do AI, ive never done it, is that a trick thats easy enough to learn? how much shelter does a sow need through the winter? do i need a shute to AI? i am curious for any opinions from anyone who has decided to keep one sow around for one or two litters a year. thanks. i appreciate it.

For just one litters a year would not pay to have a sow. Maybe 2 litters a year would be ok. I don't think you would need a shute to AI. You can get boar scent to spray close to the sow which should do the job. You do need proper shelter for the sow and the new pigs. If all you need is 6 feeders a year be much cheaper and easier just to buy the feeder pigs.

There is one recent very good post on this board that shows a Demo. on AI.

Good luck,
Gerold.

[Mare Owner]

Originally Posted by paddler

i am wondering if the advantages of having a sow outweigh the hassles of having to keep another animal alive through a northern minnesota winter.

It's just this mild winter that's got you thinking about this.

It depends on what the advantages are to you. You would have a lot of extra piglets to sell if you only feed out six for yourself per year.

If you're going to keep one sow, you might as well keep two. They can keep eachother company and it won't double the workload.

[highlands]

A sow can produce two to three litters a year. Each litter will be six to 14 piglets typically. Are you ready to up the ante in how many you raise or sell the extras. They sell best in the spring, which is when you'll want yours too so you don't want to sell them then. Late summer and fall piglets don't sell well as live piglets but they sell fairly well as suckling roasters.

She's expensive to feed if you're using grain or a commercial feed so her litters are what pay for her. Sows get big - ours top out at about 800 lbs. This means they eat a lot too. It takes extra calories and food for gestating and nursing. Pasturing can help reduce the feed costs.

To breed your you'll need to borrow a boar or do AI. It isn't hard but you got to time it right in both cases. Borrowing a boar risks bringing in disease. Generally the stud fee is about $150 or so plus you have to feed him. Last time I looked at AI it was about $150 per sow, that was a few years ago. Remember to get two doses of sperm - you want to breed her twice about 12 to 24 hours apart. The other option is owning your own boar - he's expensive to feed and isn't really worth it until you have six or more sows.

Figure out your costs. Do a little mini-business plan for yourself. If you're doing a half dozen pigs a year it will likely be cheaper just to buy weaner feeder pigs.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project:
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/csa

[vicb66]

You may want to consider berkshires or some other breed that has smaller litters.I was on the fence as far as keeping a boar too but the cool thing about the boar is if he doesn't work out for you I'm sure you can find a buyer or just slaughter him for yourself.