Looking for Feeder Pigs in Topeka Kansas

[CunninghamGSDs]

Hello,
I am new to this forum. We are also fairly new to homesteading but have been trying to make changes each year to live a more sustainable life. We are raising chickens for eggs and meat for the last couple of years and now we want to raise a couple of pigs. Does anyone have any for sale? Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. We are building a 3 sided shelter for them and we are going to put up an electric net fencing from Kencove for the pasture area where they will live. I have bought a couple of books on pig rearing but the first one I bought seems to be more geared to the large producer. I understand that you can buy either pig food or you can mix oats, cracked corn and whey to start and then take out the whey.
What woudl you reccomend? Also, what about table scraps... can they eat everything I would normally put in my compost pile?
Thank you for your time!

[wally]

The only sale barn that sells hog/piglets that I know of is in junction city..Last time I was there piglets were 10 to 15 dollars each. You can buy a 250 to 300 lb hog for less than 150 dollars. On craigslist there was a lady up around holton that was selling piglets for around 65 dollars..Might want to check craigslist.

[Nature's Nook]

Hi! Congratulations on trying to live a sustainable lifestyle! It sounds like you are doing a great job to me!

I didn't know how much research you have done on pigs, and if you had thought about going organic or not. I just wanted to make sure that you knew that the cheapest pigs usually give you the least quality, and certainly the health benefits are bound to be much less. (Not that I am putting down any producer!)

Buying purebred pigs allows you to go back to eating like our previous ancestors did...enjoying the beautiful marbling and amazing health benefits of unaltered meat. The difference really is amazing.

Also, if you're thinking about always having pigs on hand for quality meat, keeping a sow and boar around are really easy ways to do it! (You can also make money back by selling the extras from your litters that you don't need.)

We own Nature's Nook Family Farms and raise Gloucestershire Old Spots (GOS for short!) and LOVE them. They are so docile and sweet....and they grow to be HUGE so you get a lot of meat from them. There are other purebred breeds that are great too....Tamworth, Large Black, Berkshire. All of these are known for their outstanding quality of meat, and are the ones most found in gourmet restaurants.

This saying, these pigs cost quite a bit more than a lower quality pig. That is the downside! (Although, again, if you raise your own sow and boar, then you always have the meat you want for much less, and then actually make money by selling the rest of the litter.)

I hope you don't mind me just throwing this out there! I have several friends that purchase the lower end pigs and are just fine with it! (I guess for me, now that I know the difference, I can't help but need to say something.)

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me! Or you can see our site at http://pasturedheritagegospigs.com.

[CunninghamGSDs]

Thank you Wally and Nature's Nook for your responses. I appreciate the welcome. I have been looking on Craigslist and have found two sources near me from my hairdresser actually! lol. We just ordered our fencing so hopefully it will be here in a week or so. We are getting closer.

This first time we will buy inexpensive ones and raise to butcher to test it out and see how we do. After that, we may get a pair to breed but I don't want to go too fast. When we do, I will buy good quality. I'm sure it is the same as with my shepherds.... I don't eat them of course, lol, but you pay for quality and when I started my breeding program, I bought very high quality dogs so I could build a top quality bloodline and produce top quality pups.....sounds like it's the same with pigs which makes sense.

THanks for the input!
What is the name of the sale barn in Junction City?

[wally]

JC Livestock sales,301 e 6th street, 238-1471. I think hog/cattle sales are held every wednesday and starts at 10 AM... for what its worth I would suggest that if you start a breeding program that you consider a yorkshire sow and a berkshire boar.

[lasergrl]

Welcome Natures Nook. We are Literally neighbors As in our properties touch.
I can vouch for the GOS breed. We had a gilt 3 years ago that was as gentle as a kitten. A very stark comparison between her and the york crosses. We are stuck on berkshires after butchering some last year. BUT a GOS will be incredible compared to modern meat. If you like a marbled flavored chop that is.

[Nature's Nook]

Thanks for the welcome, lasergrl! GOS are a lot of fun. And good luck CunninghamGSDs! I think you have a great plan going. Enjoy the pigs, both "before" and "after"!

[amylou62]

If its not too far for you call Faye Farms in Udall Ks. They have good pigs and reasonable prices. Nice people too.

[CunninghamGSDs]

Thanks everyone. Udall is about 2.5 hours away so too far. I will definetly check out the sale barn in JC...thank you for the number and address. I will also check with the contacts that my hairdresser gave me. Fence came and we built a feeder out of 55 gal barrel. Also ordered a waterer on the internet that is to be attached to a 55 gal barrel. Got the barrels and have the shelter a little over half built (needs a roof still). I kind of glad we didn't get it all done and get our little piggies before this big storm. I have a foot of snow and a storm moving into tonight that 's supposed to dump another foot. When it all melts, then I will get the piggies.

Anybody want to weigh in on feed? I plan on doing some pasturing....I'm going to rotate on 6 acres. I am also going to buy some feed from the elevator per reccomedation from an aquantance who does pigs. What do you all feed/reccomend? What about table leftovers?