which one should go???

1279 Views 8 Replies 4 Participants Last post by milkstoolcowboy, Oct 2, 2003

kids o plenty

Discussion Starter · Sep 30, 2003

This spring I got 2 sows and a boar, here it is the fall and no kids . It's time to butcher which one should go? I was leaning towards the boar I havn't even seen him dancing with the gals.

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What size were the sows and boar when you got them? When did you get them? Did you ever see the sows in heat? Was the boar a proven breeder when you got him? Did you pen-mate when you saw one of the sows in heat? Are the females sows or gilts? (Sorry for all the questions, but I am wondering if maybe the sows didn't get bred right away, but still might be piggy.)

Gestation period for female pigs (sow/gilt) is approx. 114 days, better known as 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days. So, that's almost 4 months, meaning that they'd be pigging now if bred on or around June 1.

I wouldn't butcher the boar without castrating him and then waiting 4-6 weeks to butcher.

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awhobert7

· #3 · Oct 1, 2003

Butcher one of the sows first, cut the boar then butcher him in 4to 6 weeks. then the other sow. they don't always breed good.

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awhobert7

· #4 · Oct 1, 2003

Butcher one of the sows first, cut the boar then butcher him in 4to 6 weeks. then the other sow. they don't always breed good.

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kids o plenty

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 1, 2003

The pigs were about 15o# when we got them in Mid april now the male is about 275# and the females are about 250#

Umm, excuse me, you want me to castrate him??? I would have to let my wife do it!! I don't have the XX$'& to do that. I havn't even seen it done, let alone do it. This is my first set of pigs. We were going just smoke the hams and bacon and grind the rest with a deer for sausage.
Thanks

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milkstoolcowboy

· #6 · Oct 1, 2003

Smell the boar. Butcher him without castrating him and that's what the meat will taste like. Personally, whether you castrate him or not is up to you. Sounds like he isn't going to be a breeder, so he isn't worth anything else. You might just as well get rid of him, because his feed conversion is just going to get worse and worse as he gets larger. I'd also be careful feeding and working around that boar if he weighs 275 lbs. Breeding age males (be it a boar, a buck sheep or a bull) can be aggressive.

You could butcher one of the gilts; they are about finished (market weight).

For future reference: 150 lb. pigs are too small to be breeding age. I like the gilts to get up to 250 lbs. before breeding and I wouldn't want a boar under about 300 lbs. I'd prefer that the boar I brought had bred some gilts/sows before I got him.

If you don't want to castrate pigs, make sure you get gilts or pigs that were already cut (barrows).

If you got those pigs in mid-April and they weighed 150 lbs., that means they've gained only 100 lbs. in 5.5 months. That's a pretty low rate of gain.

I don't understand what the problem is with castrating an animal, be it a horse, sheep, pig or calf. It's a part of farming: you don't want uncut males breeding your female stock, and the gelding, wether, barrow or steer will gain better if castrated.

If I told my wife I couldn't castrate the pigs and she'd have to do it, she'd laugh herself silly.

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kids o plenty

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 1, 2003

Milkstoolcowboy
I was joking about having my wife do it, she was sitting next to me when I typed it. she was laughing till she hit me when I hit the submit button. I never have castrated one though, but willing and able, just don't know how.... Is their a website that you know of??
thanks

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unioncreek

· #8 · Oct 1, 2003

I wouldn't castrate the boar, he is way to big. You would probably loose him it you did. I would sell him and find another boar to borrow or buy and butcher one of the gilts.

Bob

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milkstoolcowboy

· #9 · Oct 2, 2003

I'd agree with Bob, the best thing to do is sell the boar.

While you can castrate 300 lb. plus pigs (I've done it), they'll swell up quite a bit and it will set them back. I wouldn't recommend the first pig you castrate be a market weight hog.

I don't know of a web site, as I learned how to cut pigs from watching my Dad. I kind of took over raising the hogs when I got to be 14, so I'm closing in on 60 years of cutting. I honestly would recommend seeing if you can't find a neighbor who would show you how, but recognize most guys with pigs are quite concerned about minimizing exposure of their hogs to outside diseases.

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