# Is this too much space for our pigs?



## Jayzandra (May 26, 2016)

Everyone around here is convinced that giving pigs too much space to run around makes them grow slow. I'm convinced the meat will be leaner. The last pig we did raised at a friends house in a small pen had SO MUCH fat on it that had to be cut off. 
The younger pigs here are about 5 months and do seem smaller than the last pig we raised at this age, but I feel like they're all meat and hardly any fat. They run around and play a lot when it isn't too hot.

They're pen is 100x50ft. The pen will be divided once we start breeding them.


----------



## Tracker (Jun 6, 2016)

mine are also about 5 months and look about like yours. My pen is roughly 30 x 80, in the woods, though.
We had a LOT of rain this past week, about 5-6 inches. This was after a 2.5" deluge one afternoon.


----------



## Baymule (Aug 3, 2016)

We raised 3 pigs last year for the freezer in a 100'x70' pen. They were happy, ran around rooting and acting like pigs. Raise them the way you want, they're your pigs!


----------



## NH homesteader (Aug 3, 2016)

Space is good! Whenever we have extra money,  we buy more fencing to make the pen bigger! The guy we got our pigs from said our sows are growing faster than any of the other ones from their litter,  and we also have the biggest pen out of the lot.  And we don't overfeed either, probably less than  most people who grow their pigs fast for food!

Edited to add: oh and ours are big but super lean. For old spots,  anyway.


----------



## Mini Horses (Aug 3, 2016)

I think the pen is fine.  You know, farmers used to run them on the fields after they harvested to clean up and be fed at once.   Mine love to have room to run and roll.   Some breeds tend to be leaner.  Personally, I like a little more marble than some of the commercial product as it keeps the meat moist and taste up.   So a little fat does not bother me.  Besides, you render it for lard!    

It can be used in soap making as well as cooking.


----------

