# Pigs almost ready to arrive



## rbruno (Apr 12, 2021)

My two feeder pigs will be arriving soon.  I have been spending the last couple weeks finalizing things for their arrival.  As I continue to "check off boxes" of things to do, I try to keep a mental note of questions to ask this group.  Here are a couple things I have so far.

1.  How much water should flow out of the watering nipple?  I have a 55 gallon blue barrel set up for watering.  It is outside the pen and has the nipple sticking threw the fence.  I bought nipples that said were good for gravity fed systems.  I assumed that meant barrels like mine.  When you push down on the nipple, water doesn't shoot out.  I would say it does more of a trickle.  Is that enough?  Will they stand there and drink till they are full even if the water is just trickling out?  There is nothing blocking the nipple on the inside of the barrel.  Just wondering if there is enough water flow.

2.  Should I create a starter wallow?  I have two areas that are 32'X21' feet for two feeders.  I was thinking about creating a wallow in a far corner from the pen.  I didn't know if they will use that or ignore what I did and create one were they want it.  I didn't know if it is something that they will figure out where to do their business and where to dig their wallow.

3.  Are there vegetables/scraps you shouldn't feed pigs.  I don't plan to give them any meat or cooked veggies that have any seasoning or anything like that, but I want to say I read some where that potatoes are not good for pigs.  If that is true, are there other vegetables people avoid giving their pigs?

4.  Will pigs push under hog/combination panels if the post are 8 feet apart?  I have enclosed my area for the pigs with combination panels.  They have the hog size openings at the bottom but are 50" tall.  I chose these panels because my horses are on the other side.  So far, I have my post spaced 8 feet apart.  They feel pretty solid, but I know keep pigs in can be different then just "feels good to me".  I was thinking about adding metal T post in between, but didn't have any sitting around the house.  I will be just raising feeders so I won't have them but for 5 months.

I think that is all I had at this point, but I am sure in the next couple weeks I will have more.
Thanks,
Rob


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## Baymule (Apr 13, 2021)

I raise feeder pigs every year. I have the blue barrel and hog nipple set up too. The trickle will be enough. Don’t worry about that.

Hog wallow, they will choose their own. Don’t wet down the far corner, that will probably be their poop spot. Pigs are very clean, given the chance. They don’t want to roll in their own poop any more than you do.

Vegetables-anything goes. Cooked and seasoned are ok too. I don’t give mine plate scrapings, if a family member is sick, pigs can catch human colds and virus also, which is why pigs are used in medical research. I also give mine weeds and grass pulled out of the garden. What they don’t want, they won’t eat.

My pig pen is fenced with 2”x4” horse wire with T-posts set 10’ apart. Never had one root out, a hot wire run at the bottom would be a good idea, but don’t have electricity there.

What shelter do you have for them? They do need shade. They will happily sleep in their shelter and use it to get out of storms and hard rain.

My secret weapon: BOILED EGGS!!  I never load pigs in the trailer. My husband backs the trailer up to the gate and I toss boiled eggs in it. I squeeze one and drop it at the end of the trailer, back up, drop another one, back up drop another one, then a pile in the front of the trailer. PIGS LOAD THEMSELVES. Every single time.

Good luck with your pigs. Home raised pork is not the white, tasteless stuff you buy at the store. Do you have a slaughter date? Set one NOW about 6 months out. What breed of pigs, how old are they? What is your target weight? If heritage pigs and very young weaners, you may need a couple more months to feed them before slaughter.


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## Baymule (Apr 13, 2021)

@Simpleterrier is a wealth of pig information, that’s where I learned about hog nipples and a barrel. After fighting with turned over water tubs with several batches of pigs, a hog nipple is the greatest invention! I patterned my Pig Palace after his pig pen. It sure makes raising pigs a lot easier. He even cans link sausage and I think he has canned bacon too. I can a lot, but never tried sausage and bacon.


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## rbruno (Apr 13, 2021)

Baymule said:


> I raise feeder pigs every year. I have the blue barrel and hog nipple set up too. The trickle will be enough. Don’t worry about that.
> 
> Hog wallow, they will choose their own. Don’t wet down the far corner, that will probably be their poop spot. Pigs are very clean, given the chance. They don’t want to roll in their own poop any more than you do.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the information.  I posted a thread on my pig pen a while back.  I have a 7'X10' area for them to have cover.  We have chickens as well so I will be trying the boiled egg trick too.  I have a step up horse trailer that will double as my pig trailer.  I am building a dirt mound at the gate for them to be able to hopefully walk up and into the trailer.  The only slaughter date I could get around me was for Oct. 19th which is about 3 or 4 weeks longer then I had hoped.  Like most people here, I have found many of our slaughter places are booked for the year.  I am on two waiting list, but at least I have one scheduled.  Again, it is a little later then I wanted, but beggars certainly can't be choosers.  I am getting two pure Berkshires that will be about two months old when I get them in early May.  I am hoping to get them to around 250 live weight, but they may be a little bigger since my date is a little later then expected.  I went with Berkshires because I have bought half of pig from a local farm to butcher and make sausage.  The pork was fantastic.  So, for my first ones, I wanted to see if I could produce something the same or at least close on what will be my feeding and raising program.  If I get close, I might look for a different breed the next time just to see if there is a difference.  I definitely want to stay with the heritage breed pork though.
Thanks 
Rob


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## Baymule (Apr 13, 2021)

Rob, be sure to get the heart and liver, cooked, diced and mixed with rice, it makes a superb dog treat. I even can pig offal, chicken backs and necks for our dogs. My husband mixes it with the dry kibble.

I get the hog fat too. I slowly melt it on the stove and can the lard. I cook with it and it makes the flakiest pie crust!

I had half Berkshire/half Large Black hogs, the meat was very good. I’ve had Red Wattle hogs, Hereford hogs and undetermined mixed breed. Last year was a Blue Butt and a Hampshire. This year I have a Hereford, a Hampshire and a half Hereford/?.

Good that you have a slaughter date. One year we butchered our own. You have done your homework. You are prepared and ready. You are going to enjoy your pigs.


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## R2elk (Apr 13, 2021)

Baymule said:


> Rob, be sure to get the heart and liver, cooked, diced and mixed with rice, it makes a superb dog treat. I even can pig offal, chicken backs and necks for our dogs. My husband mixes it with the dry kibble.


What a waste.  Pig liver is fine fried in onions.

Heart is really good too.  I like it stuffed but pickled is the best.


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## Baymule (Apr 13, 2021)

Hahaha, I can’t do liver. Maybe heart, what’s your recipe?
Even the dogs won’t eat beef liver. I bought nearly 70 pounds at 17 cents a pound and canned it for them. Had to mix it with chicken to get them to eat it. Can’t blame them, I can’t stand it either. LOL


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## R2elk (Apr 13, 2021)

Baymule said:


> Hahaha, I can’t do liver. Maybe heart, what’s your recipe?
> Even the dogs won’t eat beef liver. I bought nearly 70 pounds at 17 cents a pound and canned it for them. Had to mix it with chicken to get them to eat it. Can’t blame them, I can’t stand it either. LOL


Pickled Heart

1 heart (game or beef heart)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp pickling spice
1/4 onion
sugar
vinegar
water

Rinse the heart in fresh cool water, poking your finger into the
ventricles to help remove any blood clots. Soak overnight in a cool
place with enough water to cover plus a handful of salt. Rinse
again, and place whole heart in a pan of cool, salted water, over
medium heat and boil until done: this takes about a half hour (once
the water begins to boil) with a small antelope or deer heart, and
about 1½ hours with a large elk heart. Remove from heat and allow
to cool. After cooling, cut the heart into three or four pieces by
inserting the knife lengthwise into the chambers. Carefully trim
away all fat and surface blood vessels, cut and peel away the outer
layer (epicardium) and the inner layers of the chambers (“heart
strings” or tendons). Slice the trimmed pieces into strips
approximately ¼ inch thick. Put the heart slices into either a quart
or pint jar (depending on the size of the heart) with the pickling
spices and the quarter of onion. Boil in a saucepan a mixture of 1
part sugar, 2 parts vinegar and 2 parts water. Make enough to fill
the canning jar. Pour hot liquid over heart in canning jar to within
½" of the top of the jar. Seal jar with lid and set on counter upside
down to cool and seal.

Note: The pickled heart slices will be ready to be eaten in about
one week.


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## Baymule (Apr 13, 2021)

That sounds intriguing. Never had pickled heart. I have a beef heart in the freezer. What's it taste like?


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## R2elk (Apr 14, 2021)

Baymule said:


> That sounds intriguing. Never had pickled heart. I have a beef heart in the freezer. What's it taste like?


It tastes like a sweet pickled meat.  I had a neighbor give me a beef heart.  After I let her taste the pickled heart, she never gave me another heart but instead kept them for herself.


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