# Best breed of pig?



## zimmerman (Dec 30, 2011)

I am interested in raising pigs for meat and to sell young. In otherwords I would like to breed them. But I would like a kind that grazes a significant part of their diet and is small-medium size (100-300 lbs at maturity). I am thinking kunekune would be the best - I hear they don't root so much and so I could run them in with fruit trees. Any suggestions, pros/cons? Thanks, Z


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## Cornish Heritage (Jan 3, 2012)

I have never seen a KuneKune let alone bred one so cannot give you an opinion on them. 

If you are looking for a good grazing pig then Large Blacks are superb. They do/can get big (400lbs +) but not huge like some breeds & they are gentle giants - great mothers too. They do root as all pigs do but not as much as other breeds.

What you need to do is research your market. Look into what is already being produced around you & so something different. Are there Farmer's Markets around you? DO NOT try & compete with the commercial market - you will fail before you even start. You have to create a niche market where folks are happy to pay top dollar for the meat. If possible, take some taste tests or ask folks what the different breeds taste like. Large Blacks are delicious. Red Wattle is also good - someone recently said they taste more like the wild hog. 

All the best in your search, 

Liz


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## zimmerman (Jan 5, 2012)

Thanks again - I am more familiar with poultry, so like with broilers I can raise, slaughter and sell directly to the consumer without any special licensing or anything. Is it the same with pigs? And how much land will a Large Black root like per day or week or however you measure it? I am interested how much land I would need to rotate one on. Thanks, Z


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## Diamond Wire Farms (Jan 5, 2012)

I raise KuneKunes and they certainly fit your criteria. That being said KuneKune pigs in the US are still pretty rare. The majority of pig sales still involve piglets for breeding stock. There is one CSA in the process of developing a program for Kunekune pork production, but as far as my understanding they are still a couple of years away from offering KuneKune pork on the market.  KuneKune pigs have amazing temperaments, and are easy on equipment/fencing, as well as on their owners.  Like a lot of heritage breeds, the establishment costs are more expensive than for more readily available and faster growing breeds, but with some research on the available bloodlines it is still possible to make money with a small breeding group by selling piglets to other breeders.  If you let me know where you are located I can help you find KuneKune resources near you.

If you are looking for a similar sized and more economical option for pork production consider the American Guinea Hog.


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## Cornish Heritage (Jan 7, 2012)

> Thanks again - I am more familiar with poultry, so like with broilers I can raise, slaughter and sell directly to the consumer without any special licensing or anything. Is it the same with pigs? And how much land will a Large Black root like per day or week or however you measure it? I am interested how much land I would need to rotate one on. Thanks, Z


What licensing/permits you need varies from state to state so I can't help you there. You will need to research your own state's laws. I think though if you sell whole animals rather than different cuts then their is not many rules & regulations.

As to how much land would a LB root, that is impossible to answer. Soil type makes a huge difference as does whether it is wet or dry. They root more when it rains as the soil is nice & soft. I am not good at guestimating how much land each pig needs but 1 acre would/should be plenty for a Large Black.

We have 65 acres here, of which 45 is pasture. We are currently running 45 sheep, 17 cows & calves PLUS 30+ pigs. Our pigs numbers fluctuate depending on how many piglets are on the ground but we have 25+ young adult to mature LB's then piglets.

Hope this helps, 

Liz


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## DKRabbitry (Jan 8, 2012)

Also... on the market thing... KuneKunes are quite similar to Potbellies in appearance (I know there are a lot of differences, but to the average person, it looks more like a potbelly than a "market hog").  In many areas eating potbelly or "pet pig" meat is a major faux pas!  So if you are raising something like that for meat, you might run into issues with selling on the basis that people are against eating potbelly.   Then again, you might be in an area where that doesn't matter.  Just something to think about.


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## zimmerman (Jan 8, 2012)

Thanks everyone - yes, dkrabbitry, that is a good point, but I don't think I'd have to worry about that around here  I can see that becoming a problem in some places though where people are more into "pets".


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## quiltnchik (Jan 9, 2012)

Have you looked at the American Guinea Hog?  They are a heritage breed, small and don't root much, so they fit your criteria.  Do some research and see what you think.  I just purchased my first registered breeding pair and will start having piglets in the fall.


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## wava1vaughn (Jan 10, 2012)

Hi from Ga. For the last couple of years we been raising Red Waddles for the freezer. However our supplier went out of business so we will be looking for a new source. Will probably try a different breed.


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## zimmerman (Jan 13, 2012)

Thanks, do Guinea hogs root the same amount as regular pigs or do they graze more like the Kunekune? And what about Ossawbaw Island, I hear they CAN be as small as 100 lbs, but what is their average?


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## Diamond Wire Farms (Jan 13, 2012)

Some KuneKunes don't root and some do. The same is true for American Guinea Hogs. Compared to most other breeds of pigs, Kune and AGH rooting is more like a shallow rotatilling.  If the ground is moist and there is something good to eat there, all pigs will root eventually.  They will also make a wallow in the summer if they can find any damp spot. It is best to create your own in an acceptable location to avoid their choice being the centerpiece of your pasture.


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## quiltnchik (Jan 13, 2012)

So far the only rooting my Guinea Hogs have done is after weeds in the pasture, which were killing my grass of anyway.  They're not known to do nearly as much damage to pastures as the larger hogs, because they don't root as much and prefer to graze.  I love my AGH pair and am seriously considering the purchase of another gilt soon.  Of course I have my 2 feeder piglets coming next weekend, but they're both barrows.  They'll start out penned, but once they get some size on them (enough so that they can't get through the fencing), they'll be pastured with the others.


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## zimmerman (Jan 14, 2012)

Thanks, it sounds like guinea hogs are the way to go for small grazing pigs if you don't wanna shell out the $$ for Kunekune's. How much do you feed your guinea hogs when they can't get out to graze/root?


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## Open Sky Farm (Feb 20, 2012)

We've been pleased with our Guinea Hogs. I had three boars in a 16'x16' pen this summer and moved it everyday through grass. They did great and rarely rooted. If they rooted it was my own fault for not moving them fast enough (I tried different scenarios of adding more panels and waiting to move them). I provided them with shade and a plastic kiddy pool to keep cool. 

On the other hand, a local "Niche Pork" producer said he didn't like them. Too small and too much fat. I think they make a great homestead hog though. 








The green is the resulting path (a while afterwards) from moving their pen.


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## Open Sky Farm (Feb 20, 2012)

zimmerman said:
			
		

> Thanks, it sounds like guinea hogs are the way to go for small grazing pigs if you don't wanna shell out the $$ for Kunekune's. How much do you feed your guinea hogs when they can't get out to graze/root?


I thought I read somewhere that 2 lbs a day was a good average. Depending on the size you get, you can start from there and adjust accordingly. They can become overweight pretty easily on feed but it's that ease of putting on weight that makes them such a great breed.


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## zimmerman (Feb 25, 2012)

Thanks, that is very informative and helpful - they look so pleased in the kiddie pool


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## firstimehogger (Jun 1, 2012)

I have my very first hog, an AGH barrow, he's in and out of the house as he's still under 15 pounds.  Can't bear the thought of eating him now.  He's become a pet.  I'd love to have a breeding pair and have been scouting around to find some breeders near me that have hogs that are NOT related.  
Seems Scott Wall has the originals around here, with Diana Pritchard having some of his, and Kathleen Kroll and Daron having some of hers and so on.  
Anybody have a clue how much it matters to get close relation out of your pedigree??


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## Cornish Heritage (Jun 1, 2012)

> Anybody have a clue how much it matters to get close relation out of your pedigree??


If you are just breeding for meat then how close you breed really doesn't make that much difference. If you are wanting to raise quality breeding stock then you need to do your research & purchase quality stock. Chances are there will be some level to inbreeding as I think the AGH are rare. You want to breed the good genetics & so some linebreeding actually helps to improve the breed. 

Liz


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## wava1vaughn (Jun 1, 2012)

Hi from Ga.  We raise for meat but like to keep good quality stock.









This our latest Petunia.


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## firstimehogger (Jun 1, 2012)

Your Petunia is a little doll.


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## firstimehogger (Jun 1, 2012)

I realize pedigree wouldn't matter much on the dinner table, but if a sow had a dozen in her litter that would be an awful lot of meat for our family so selling weeners would be an option, they'd have to be quality in case buyers wanted for breed ing, but if they just wanted meat as well, not so much.  Probably better to keep with the quality, IMHO.


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## wava1vaughn (Jun 1, 2012)

Little Petunia is the diginess little pig we have ever had.


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