[countrygrl]

does anyone know if it is bad for pigs to be bred to a relation? (ie: cousin, half sibling, full sibling?) or would it be healthier for the piglets to have parents w/no relation? i know that for most animals it isnt a good idea, but i was just wondering about pigs. sorry if the question seems stupid, you only learn by asking questions i guess

Sue

 

[Rosarybeads]

Yeah, I'm curious too... We have two young gilts, and a young boar, just hitting breeding age, and the boar is the brother to one of the sows....

 

[GeorgeK]

That depends on for what you are breeding. If it is for meat and not for intelligence, then in the big scheme of things it is not a problem. Even if you want to play worst case scenario and believe that (as is the case for humans) each individual has 8% lethal recessive genes, and assume both individuals pass all at once, that means that roughly 15% of the piglets wont survive infancy due to genetic problems, that's still 85%. If you are homesteading and not selling to commercial markets, that's still good production (6 piglets instead of 7). Also assuming you are letting the sows feed the piglets, the piglets will grow a little faster if they have less competition for food. Now the resulting pigs aren't going to be discussing the theory of relativity in relation to quantum mechanics as influenced by fractal theory, but then they are intended for sausage, now aren't they.

 

[countrygrl]

ok, so basically, they will generally be ok, b/c i am just raising them for slaughter anyway. i just wanted to make sure that i wouldn't have any problems as far as deformity and such....seems too messy but do you think that in the long run it might be better to get a different boar?

Sue

 

[GeorgeK]

It depends on how you are raising them. In most cases you could likely go 5+ generations before you would notice significant defects. The really bad defects would die right away, the mother will eat them, and you would never know anything other than, "well... there are only 5 piglets this time", even with selective breeding. In a wild flock program even longer. If you keep one breeding pair, they will likely be productive for 5-10 years. Eat all the results. At about year 6-8 I'd let the litter do what they may, Butcher or sell the original parents, observe the piglets and see who is the most fit as the new breeders, and butcher the rest. You could realistically have up to 30 years of pork from only two pigs this way

ok, so basically, they will generally be ok, b/c i am just raising them for slaughter anyway. i just wanted to make sure that i wouldn't have any problems as far as deformity and such....seems too messy but do you think that in the long run it might be better to get a different boar?

Sue

 

[tinknal]

Should be no problem, if your worried about it, find a small hog farmer and trade boars with him every so often, or just buy an uncut feeder pig and add him to your herd.

 

[GeorgeK]

If you are controlling who is breeding, a boar will work, if you let them run together as a wild swineherd, then add a female, since the baors will fight for dominance and there is no guarantee the new one will be the breeder, unless you eliminate the old one from the breeding stock

Should be no problem, if your worried about it, find a small hog farmer and trade boars with him every so often, or just buy an uncut feeder pig and add him to your herd.

 

[tinknal]

Well, George, in a small herd you really wouldn't want more than one boar anyway....

 

[dla]

I have the feeling that after we have paid to raise this boar to full size and have a look at the feed bills we will wish we had HALF a boar!

 

[GeorgeK]

It depends on your set-up. Rasied as a wild swineherd, free-range like I do, there are occassional losses to predators. Right now I have a herd of about 40 potbellies and probably half are boars. It is getting close to butchering weather.

Well, George, in a small herd you really wouldn't want more than one boar anyway....

 

[countrygrl]

Well, these pigs come from good breeding stock, all are very healthy, their parents were as well. these pigs were the second litter for their moms and their dad had been around for almost 4 years. so i hope that they will be alright genetically for a while, we are going to only have 1 boar b/c we will probably only keep 2 sows and butcher the rest. so hopefully i can stick w/what i got for a couple of years

Sue