[botebum]

I don't spend much time on the "Pigs" forum because I wasn't planning on doing pigs for another year or two. I'm learning chickens right now and going slow is best....but....My neighbor's sow panicked and killed all but two of her piglets(sows) during our last storm. He wants us to take the piglets(sowlets?) and raise them to BBQ size(100lbs or so). He gets one and we get one. He's got the fencing for us and will help putting it up. We don't have a lot of land (2 acres in total, 1 acre open) and the pigs will have to be penned and fed. We don't have a garden in yet(just moved in this summer) but he will help out with scraps(plenty) from his acres of farm and fields. Even if I have to buy feed(worst case scenario), is this still a good deal? Oh yeah, He butchers, I help.

Doug

 

[farmergirl]

Sounds like an awesome deal. Free fencing, free hog, free food scraps? BTW, the little female hogs are called "gilts" (pronounced guilts). A sow is a female hog with pigs or that has had pigs in the past.

 

[botebum]

Thanks Farmergirl. If you remove the free food(worst case scenario) is it still a good deal?

Doug

 

[montysky]

Thanks Farmergirl. If you remove the free food(worst case scenario) is it still a good deal?

Doug

Yes, good luck with your Gilts :1pig: :1pig:

 

[nehimama]

If nothing else, you'll get experience for not a lot of layout. Then, when you DO decided to get into pigs for yourself, you'll know what you'd like to do differently, or if you want to get into them at all.

I'd give it a go. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Good Luck!

NeHi

 

[Rocky Fields]

Hey.

The pig market isn't great at the moment.

If you have to buy the feed you wouldn't be making out so good. Free feed would be a great deal.

What you would get is lots of experience, so you can decide if pigs are right for you.

RF

 

[highlands]

The first deal is excellent for you. Second is worth it too as you can get free food in many cases to a large degree. If nothing else, figure out where you want next year's garden and put the pigs there so they till it and fertilize it. Divide it up into sections and rotate them through to avoid soil compaction.

Have fun!

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org

 

[beeman97]

from the sounds of things it really isnt a bad idea, but ,,,, on all aspects you describe he is splitting things with you except the feed thing, while he is providing the pig he should also split the feed costs, if any, with you, you will be doing all the labor of feeding & watering, it won;t cost much to feed them to that weight, but still ,, he should split the feed costs as well. & even if you are getting all the free scraps he can provide you should still be feeding them a feed that will provide them with all the minerals they need to grow properly, remember what you put into your pig is what your going to get out of it.
in my opinion anyway

 

[nehimama]

Your neighbor wants them to get to about 100#? That shouldn't take long. I got my three gilts (55# each) at the very end of April. When they went to the butcher on August 10th, they weighed 265, 260, and 225#.

NeHi

 

[bill not in oh]

I'd jump on that one! Although I'd let him take the one at 100# and grow the other out to butcher weight if I were in NC. Ideally, you wouldn't want to raise a single pig, but it's doable.

 

[botebum]

I'd jump on that one! Although I'd let him take the one at 100# and grow the other out to butcher weight if I were in NC. Ideally, you wouldn't want to raise a single pig, but it's doable.

I thought of doing that but we don't have a freezer yet and may not anytime soon. What's the yield on a 250# pig? Seems to me I'd have to have at least a 15cuft chest to put it up.

Doug

 

[copperkid3]

I thought of doing that but we don't have a freezer yet and may not anytime soon. What's the yield on a 250# pig? Seems to me I'd have to have at least a 15cuft chest to put it up.

Doug

*********************************
Doug
Sounds like a deal .........if just for the experience........everything else is gravy! Regarding the yield .......got much of this information from the Countryside Magazine #63, number one - January 1978 issue and what to expect from a 265 pound hog. It will produce a 194 lb. chilled carcass of which will consist of the following cuts: hams and loins should weigh in at 63.5 lbs.
The shoulder will comprise 34 lbs. The belly is usually about 28 lbs. The remaining 62 lbs. are mostly fat of which about 41 lbs. of which will be manufactured into lard, soap and sausage. There are also about 7 lbs. of neck bones and spare ribs. The squeal doesn't weigh much of anything, but then you can't eat it either! :1pig:

If you cut and wrap yourself (with a little help from your farmer friend) then the pig should fit into a 7-8 cubic foot freezer with no problem whatsoever.

 

[2story]

You are building a relationship with your neighbor
You will be learning from someone who has experience
You will get some meat out of it.
Realtionship and experience are hard to come by, excellent deal in my view.
Having some one to go to that you can see, when you have a problem the first couple of years is priceless, my first year i had 3 gilts with ruptured anus's. Freaked me out, had a neighbor that calmed me down, and got me through it, it is a terrible feeling when you think half your herd is at risk of not finishing out.

 

[botebum]

We got the gilt finally. I didn't read back to see if I told you all that there was only one left because another storm caused the sow to panic and trample the other gilt. My neighbor/friend still promised me the remaining gilt but other than some advice and a bit of fencing, it's all us now.
Well here she is-

Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18

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Richard(my friend) suggested that I keep Little Bit(as in Bacon Bits) in the dog box for a week, to acclimate her) before cutting her loose in the pen. She's a bit uneasy right now (where's Momma?)

Doug

 

[farmergirl]

That's a really nice looking gilt you got there. What a gift! They are always somewhat skittish when they are small. I find that they relax and slow down as they age and get bigger.

 

[farmergirl]

Forgot to ask what cross she is...looks Hampshire/ Duroc.

 

[botebum]

I'm guessing Hampshire/Duroc also. They're common around here. Parents are near white so true heritage is forever going to be a guess at best. True lineage is not gonna happen.
Funny thing- An old man said that because her tail turned to the left, rather than the right, that she'd have large litters and manage them well. Silly, I know, but it fascinates me to learn and understand the origins of "old wives tales". Anybody ever heard this one before? Backround on it?

Doug

 

[farmergirl]

Never heard the tale about the tails

 

[Cindy in KY]

She is beautiful! I want her. I would keep her to raise piggies.

OK, so the pigs left or our left as we are looking at them? You didn't get her tail in the pictures. That is interesting for sure.

 

[Up North]

Interesting about the old wives tale. I'm going to have to go check out my sows now and see what direction thier tails go. Knowing how this gilts mother reacted during a storm I don't think I would want to take a chance to find out if the old wives tale was true or not. When that gilts mamma trampled all those babies that was a big loss of time and money for the original owner. I'd be worried that gilt would do the same thing if she was allowed to farrow.

Heather