# American Guinea Hogs!



## Farmerboy (Apr 15, 2012)

We got some hogs! American Guinea Hogs! We got 2 sows, a gilt, a boar, and 2 non-breeder quality gilts. The gilt gave birth to 6 piglets the day before we brought them, and the two sows are expecting soon! The 2 non-breeder quality gilts will be pork in the fall.

The gilt- Annabelle with 6 piglets 






They declared war on the nice grass right away, and ate them all before the sun went down. This morning, the pen was one muddy, turned up ground. 






The boar- Jasper  He is about 250 pounds, and is 2 years old.










They are fun to watch already!  One of the sows had flipped the smallest gilt out of her way to get the feed.


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## jessica_1285 (Apr 15, 2012)

I've never heard of this breed.... then again I know pretty much nothing about hogs lol. These are nice looking! Love the pic with the babies


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## dwbonfire (Apr 16, 2012)

i cant believe in one day they turned the pen into a mud hole!! how big is your pen?? i guess i have no idea what im in for once i turn my pigs loose in thier pen..


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Apr 16, 2012)

Farmerboy said:
			
		

> We got some hogs! American Guinea Hogs! We got 2 sows, a gilt, a boar, and 2 non-breeder quality gilts. The gilt gave birth to 6 piglets the day before we brought them, and the two sows are expecting soon! The 2 non-breeder quality gilts will be pork in the fall.
> 
> The gilt- Annabelle with 6 piglets
> http://cdn.backyardchickens.com/9/92/600x450px-LL-9262be5b_DSCN2015.jpeg
> ...


Gotta say, I love the looks of the black pigs.  That is what I would preffer.  I believe that ours are going to be some sort of cross.  I am assuming pink.  But time will tell.  Nice looking group! Ya'll are turning into a farm family very quickly aren't you?


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## Cornish Heritage (Apr 16, 2012)

Congratulation on your new piggies!



> i guess i have no idea what im in for once i turn my pigs loose in thier pen..


Breed makes ALL the difference. Some breeds are much worse at digging up the pastures than others. Our Large Blacks hardly root at all.

Liz


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## Farmerboy (Apr 16, 2012)

American Guinea Hogs are very rare Landrace breed. 10 years ago, there was only 8 of these left, now there are fewer than 200 breeders. Their pork is said to be the best tasting of all breeds. They do not root as much as other breeds, they prefer to graze, but I guess that they were excited about their new home, that they wanted to try out our soil.  Our pen is very small to start with anyway, only 6 cattle panels that makes up the pen. My dad wants me to get 10 more panels tomorrow, so we will increase the pen size to give them more room.

After they have been here for a week, I will put up a strand of electric wire inside the panels to train them to respect the wire, then I will let them out into the cow pasture. We have a creek at the bottom of the ravine, in the woods that will be perfect for the hogs.

We also had gotten a heifer to be a family cow last week, so we are becoming a farm family very quickly! We were just going to get a few pigs just for pork raising, but I had found a very good deal on the American Guinea Hogs, that I couldn't pass up, and it was easy to convince my dad to get them.


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## dwbonfire (Apr 17, 2012)

Cornish Heritage said:
			
		

> Congratulation on your new piggies!
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well i hope a tamworth/berkshire cross wont root too much


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## Cornish Heritage (Apr 17, 2012)

> After they have been here for a week, I will put up a strand of electric wire inside the panels to train them to respect the wire, then I will let them out into the cow pasture. We have a creek at the bottom of the ravine, in the woods that will be perfect for the hogs.


They will be happy to be out on pasture & in the woods but you are being wise in training them to electric fence before letting them out! We train all our pigs to electric fence from 8 weeks old (weaning) & they are SO much easier to manage. 

AGH are prolific breeders or so I have heard & they are supposed to be hardy so I am sure you will plenty more piglets before long. 

Liz


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## quiltnchik (Apr 17, 2012)

Farmerboy said:
			
		

> American Guinea Hogs are very rare Landrace breed. 10 years ago, there was only 8 of these left, now there are fewer than 200 breeders. Their pork is said to be the best tasting of all breeds. They do not root as much as other breeds, they prefer to graze, but I guess that they were excited about their new home, that they wanted to try out our soil.  Our pen is very small to start with anyway, only 6 cattle panels that makes up the pen. My dad wants me to get 10 more panels tomorrow, so we will increase the pen size to give them more room.
> 
> After they have been here for a week, I will put up a strand of electric wire inside the panels to train them to respect the wire, then I will let them out into the cow pasture. We have a creek at the bottom of the ravine, in the woods that will be perfect for the hogs.
> 
> We also had gotten a heifer to be a family cow last week, so we are becoming a farm family very quickly! We were just going to get a few pigs just for pork raising, but I had found a very good deal on the American Guinea Hogs, that I couldn't pass up, and it was easy to convince my dad to get them.


You don't even need cattle panels with these guys.  Just run 2 strands of electric - 6" and 18".  They don't jump, so no danger of them going over.


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## Farmerboy (Apr 17, 2012)

quiltnchik said:
			
		

> You don't even need cattle panels with these guys.  Just run 2 strands of electric - 6" and 18".  They don't jump, so no danger of them going over.


Well, the reason I had to get 10 more panels was, because the ALL the hogs got out while I was at work, and my siblings and my dad was chasing them all over the place. My dad said that it was a nightmare trying to get the boar back in the pen, for he wanted to stay out, and eat more stuff. So, my dad said that he does not want the hogs out of the pen, and did not want another chance of them escaping, so, we made the pen bigger.  We think that they got out for they were really hungry, and we were not giving them enough feed, so they pushed the flimsy gate open in search for food.  So, my dad tossed out the gate, and fixed the fence a bit more. I gave them about 3 dozen eggs from my chickens when I got home, and lots of hay.

They love how big their new pen is, and we all like it too.  I will take a picture of it tomorrow.


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## drdoolittle (Apr 18, 2012)

Your pigs are great!  I have PBPs right now, but was thinking of getting a pair of Guinea Hogs.  Are you going to be selling the piglets?


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## Farmerboy (Apr 18, 2012)

drdoolittle said:
			
		

> Your pigs are great!  I have PBPs right now, but was thinking of getting a pair of Guinea Hogs.  Are you going to be selling the piglets?


Yes, I am. My parents wants me to start advertising them, so we will not be so over run with piglets. lol I will be selling them when they are 6 weeks old and up. Right now the first litter will be a week old on Friday. And two sows are due within a month. They all were bred with a different boar then what we have now.

I got the hog pen completely finished today! Now they have lots of room!  I will take some pictures this afternoon.


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## Farmerboy (Apr 18, 2012)

The finished pen-
The hog fence goes behind the trees too.






Annabelle's babies have gotten big fast! She took her babies out of the shed, and mingled with the other hogs today.


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## Cornish Heritage (Apr 18, 2012)

Awww so cute. I love to watch piglets drinking.

Liz


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## Stubbornhillfarm (Apr 19, 2012)

You are doing an awesome job!


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## Farmerboy (Apr 19, 2012)

Thanks!

Here is more pictures! 

This is Jasper the boar.






They really like the grass clippings!





Here is the escape proof gate.


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## Waterfall (May 2, 2012)

You are doing a great job with those Pigs.  That Boar is lovely such a stout, strong build.   As for the Pigs being in the creek I'd be careful they don't ruin it as they seem to like to root things up.  
I had a farmer up stream of one of my streams with some pigs and they tore up the stream and disrupted the water quality and clearity.


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## Farmerboy (May 3, 2012)

Waterfall said:
			
		

> You are doing a great job with those Pigs.  That Boar is lovely such a stout, strong build.   As for the Pigs being in the creek I'd be careful they don't ruin it as they seem to like to root things up.
> I had a farmer up stream of one of my streams with some pigs and they tore up the stream and disrupted the water quality and clearity.


My dad had decided not to let the hogs of the pen after they had escaped one afternoon, but I added an old portable chicken coop as part of the fence and more shelter for the hogs. So, their pen is very large, lots of room.


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## Stubbornhillfarm (May 3, 2012)

Farmerboy said:
			
		

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Looks good!


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## Waterfall (May 3, 2012)

They sure look happy but boy did they do a number on that pasture.


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## Farmerboy (May 6, 2012)

Waterfall said:
			
		

> They sure look happy but boy did they do a number on that pasture.


They are happy here. They did root a bit in their pasture, but not all of it. It is interesting that, they seems to have set aside some areas for grazing and for rooting. So they do not root their entire yard.
They have been here for 3 weeks now, and this is what it looks like now. You can see that there are grass growing in some areas. I saw them ''mowing'' yesterday.


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## Waterfall (May 7, 2012)

Yeah, our two Chester Whites seem to be rooting in some areas and grazing in others.  Pigs are rather smart, well at least some.


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## greenbean (Jun 2, 2012)

Your pictures have made me want AGH more than I did before   Your piglets are sooo cute!!  I'm jealous!


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## Farmerboy (Jul 6, 2012)

It has been so hot lately, but the hogs seems to be doing well. 

Cooling off.







Eating fresh unsellable greens. Got the greens from where I work, for free! Daily! 






Anybody want this cutie?  I have 13 piglets total from 3 sows. 7 males, 6 females. They are old enough to be rehome now.


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## Cornish Heritage (Jul 7, 2012)

Great pics  It is SO hot here too. We hit 109F earlier according to the temperature gauge. 

Stay cool everyone, 

Liz


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## Farmerboy (Jul 7, 2012)

It hit 104 yesterday.  I got a bad headache yesterday while watering the animals, can't stand the heat. Thank God for AC!


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## treeclimber233 (Jul 7, 2012)

I read that your father did not want you to turn the pigs loose in the larger pasture because he is afraid they will get loose again.  Maybe you could try turning a few loose at a time.  They are herd animals and the "loose" ones probably will not wander far from the original pen.  That way they can explore the new larger place and return to the original pen to rejoin their friends.


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## quiltnchik (Jul 29, 2012)

Farmerboy said:
			
		

> American Guinea Hogs are very rare Landrace breed. 10 years ago, there was only 8 of these left, now there are fewer than 200 breeders. Their pork is said to be the best tasting of all breeds. They do not root as much as other breeds, they prefer to graze, but I guess that they were excited about their new home, that they wanted to try out our soil.  Our pen is very small to start with anyway, only 6 cattle panels that makes up the pen. My dad wants me to get 10 more panels tomorrow, so we will increase the pen size to give them more room.
> 
> After they have been here for a week, I will put up a strand of electric wire inside the panels to train them to respect the wire, then I will let them out into the cow pasture. We have a creek at the bottom of the ravine, in the woods that will be perfect for the hogs.
> 
> We also had gotten a heifer to be a family cow last week, so we are becoming a farm family very quickly! We were just going to get a few pigs just for pork raising, but I had found a very good deal on the American Guinea Hogs, that I couldn't pass up, and it was easy to convince my dad to get them.


They were never down that low in counts; the lowest they reached was 35 in the US.  They are, however, still considered critically endangered by the ALBC.  Are your hogs registered?  Your boar looks like he might have some Samson blood in him.


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## Farmerboy (Jul 29, 2012)

quiltnchik said:
			
		

> They were never down that low in counts; the lowest they reached was 35 in the US.  They are, however, still considered critically endangered by the ALBC.  Are your hogs registered?  Your boar looks like he might have some Samson blood in him.


That is what I read in the ALBC. 
All of my breeder hogs are registered.


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## quiltnchik (Jul 29, 2012)

Farmerboy said:
			
		

> quiltnchik said:
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Mine are registered as well, and my boar is a grandson of Baylis VA Samson.  In looking at the ALBC website, I'm not finding the info you mention - just wondering where it's located <?>  I'm not trying to be argumentative, but it's imperative that correct information is given regarding these marvelous little hogs in order to promote them and keep their numbers growing.

http://albc-usa.org/cpl/guinea.html


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## Farmerboy (Dec 20, 2012)

Its been awhile since I had posted here.

Annabelle had piglets again last night! *7* of them!  She had 6 before, and the other 2 sows had 6 too, so this litter is the largest we got so far! So the count of piglets this year is-25, but 4 died very young, 1 got stolen, so 20 now, and 3 more sows expecting soon.  Anyone want some bacon??? lol

I watched 4 pop out, and taking their first breath, it was cool. 3 were already out when I went to check on her when I got home from work last night at 10:20. Each piglets came out about 20 minutes apart. I stayed in that tiny shed until 12:20 am.

4 males, 3 females






They are born about the size of a pop can, so small.





Proud Mama eating yummy bread. She is about 150 lbs.


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## quiltnchik (Dec 20, 2012)

Congratulations!  They're adorable!

We lost our first litter of 4 because our gilt's pelvic structure (even though she was over a year old) was too small to let them through.  By the time the vet was able to get here and pull them, they were all dead.  Our second litter (of 8) were all squished the first night because they burrowed too deeply in the hay and got laid on.  We have another litter due in February (from the sow that lost her first litter), and are really praying for a better year next year.


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## Farmerboy (Dec 20, 2012)

I had lost a gilt (Porkychop) last summer to the same thing your sow had. She was for meat, and came with our breeders for free. I am sure that she got bred before coming to our farm, for we got them in April 15th, and she went to labor in July 15th. She was only 6 months old when she came to our farm, she was under sized. I had tried pulling the piglets out, but my hand would not fit in her pelvic structure, it was too small. But I tried putting my hand in Annabelle's birth canal last night, I was able to reach pass the pelvic. Plus Porkychop's babies were humongous! 2 smallest ones were out and dead, one with its head partly out and skull caved in, 2 more to go. I had slit her belly after she died to see how many piglets were in there. It was not fun, esp LOTS OF FLIES!


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## Cornish Heritage (Dec 20, 2012)

Congrats on the new piggies 

Liz


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Dec 22, 2012)

*Hey FarmerBoy, 

Are your AGH registered? Will you be selling any breeding quality babies?

Thanks!*


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## Farmerboy (Dec 22, 2012)

WhiteMountainsRanch said:
			
		

> *Hey FarmerBoy,
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> Are your AGH registered? Will you be selling any breeding quality babies?
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> Thanks!*


Hay!
Yes, the parent stock are registered and can registered the piglets, and I will be selling them as breeders and feeders, depending on their quality.


Here is the family picture of them.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Dec 22, 2012)

Farmerboy said:
			
		

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*
Aww they are so cute!!! Have you guys looked into shipping them for customers?*


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## Farmerboy (Dec 22, 2012)

WhiteMountainsRanch said:
			
		

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I can try, have not shipped piglets before, just a rooster to SC. It took the PO 24 hours to ship him from my hometown to SC! But The piglets can't leave their mothers until 6 weeks old. Then they can go wee wee all the way to your Ranch.  We can talk some more in pms if you want...


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## quiltnchik (Dec 22, 2012)

Farmerboy said:
			
		

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Just make sure all of your testing and paperwork is in order.  Wouldn't want them seized along the way


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## DKRabbitry (Jan 5, 2013)

I just got into AGHs last year.  We had our first litter in June and plan on breeding our sow back this month.  Did you get your hogs from Olive Hill?  
What has the timeframe been on getting your paperwork back from the AGHA?


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## Farmerboy (Jan 6, 2013)

quiltnchik said:
			
		

> Just make sure all of your testing and paperwork is in order.  Wouldn't want them seized along the way


Oh, I remember now why I did not ship any last year. Found that all the testing and paperwork to do, and how much it cost. Unless there is an easier and better way to ship them....


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## Farmerboy (Jan 6, 2013)

DKRabbitry said:
			
		

> I just got into AGHs last year.  We had our first litter in June and plan on breeding our sow back this month.  Did you get your hogs from Olive Hill?
> What has the timeframe been on getting your paperwork back from the AGHA?


Yup, got them from her as she was getting out of them. She sold me all of her AGH breeding stock. 

You mean registration papers? Olive Hill gave the notice to AGHA the transfer of Ownership of the hogs to me in April 15 and I did not get any papers or anything until June or July!


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## DKRabbitry (Jan 11, 2013)

COOL!  I got my boar from her last year.  Jasper is his sire.  Can't remember offhand who his dam is though...

3 months?  I am jealous.  It took 6 months to get Harry's registration, 4 months to get my sow's, and I sent in my membership application and a litter registration last August.  They cashed the checks in October, but I still have no registration papers for my hogs   I sent the registrar an email last week inquiring, but have yet to hear back.


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## bj taylor (Mar 10, 2013)

y'all are very fortunate to have gotten your agh.  i've searched my area (Texas) pretty throughly - no luck.  they are such a special breed.  one thing i like (that i read) is since they're black, they have more sun tolerance than light skinned pigs.


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## fair weather chicken (Mar 12, 2013)

DK and Farmerboy, i woud be very interested in talking to you both about purchasing some stock. i am near south haven. are either of you anywhere near there. thank you


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## sawfish99 (Jul 25, 2013)

We have been considering adding some pigs to our farm and my wife is interested in the AGHs.  Those who are breeding, are you allowing the boars and sows to live together?  Are there issues with the boars attacking babies?


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## LauraInPA (Apr 1, 2015)

I am very interested in  how you manage the boars too....REALLY considering adding these to our farm next year and trying to plan/get everything well in advance


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## shelleyb1969 (Sep 22, 2015)

FarmerBoy and DKRabbitry, are you still raising AGHs?


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