All of your pig talk got me in TROUBLE!

[Matt n Lee]

Thanks for the encouragement Sara. Fence construction started this weekend, then of course DW water pump goes out on her truck, so i spent a day replacing that. Now Im behind on the fence. Always something. I have a video or 2 of the fence build I will post for yall once I get them loaded. Im gonna try to get off work so I can get these piggies out of the barn and onto grass. They have gotten WAY more friendly in the 4 days we have had them. They had a mixture of scraps, sour corn and pumpkins so far. Using the pumpkins as a natural dewormer, plus they like them

 

[Sara Ranch]

I can't wait to see (and to read about) the progress!

 

[Farmer Connie]

Congratulations on the plunge to pig-dome! Good looking feeders.
I breed Hampshires. No matter what I cross them with, they almost all come out looking like a Hamp! W/Berk, duroc, Yorks, they all carry that Hamp band. They are such a hearty docile pig. (and my loudest! lol)

It is a mix of meat veggies and rice\bread.

I EDITED OUT INCORRECT INFORMATION ABOUT BEING VEGETARY(SORRY FOR THE MISTAKE connie). I would re think the free meat thingy.. but it is your call. Bread will add a lot of fat. We feed that in moderation. We crippled a Duroc sow with the bread bandwagon a few years ago. We were getting a trailer of bread for $30 often and my roc shot up to 900# (estimated by my vet) and she lamed her hip from all the extra baggage when she tripped over a tree root.
My feeder pigs I like on the leaner side so I rarely give them bread.
Rice is an excellent feed. Not high in nutrition but it scratches that inch (over eating) that my breeders have.
What weight are you planning to slaughter at?

If you give the pigs corn, sour it first. Straight whole corn doesn't digest real good. We just took our 2 to slaughter and they were fed soured corn. Cover the corn with water and soak several days. I kept 8 buckets going, fed twice a day. I poured water from the soured bucket into the day's fresh bucket to get it going faster.

So true.... @Baymule , I heat soak the corn (DH & I). Got tired of seeing our money in the poop. The corn would be intact and undigested.
We do what you do but the only difference is adding hot water to speed up the softening. Have a gas turkey fryer in the barn and bring the water to boil and pour it into 5 gallon buckets with the cracked corn and seal them. Sounds like a lot of work but not really. We boil the water while feeding the whole farm and it takes about that time. Multi tasking makes it work.. time wise. Whole corn will not work.

I like being back here on byh... nice to read and chat about something else besides poultry constantly. There is a zillion things going on on a Farm, in so many geographical locations and learning what else is going on miles and miles away from our area, only helps me become a better caretaker for my livestock.
Good luck with the new additions @Matt n Lee ! I'm looking fwd to following your thread!

(MY LATEST HAMPIES )​

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Pigs are vegetarians

Sorry - but pigs are not vegetarians. They will, all on their own, capture and eat whatever meat product they can...be it your favorite chicken or even a baby goat.

"Pigs are, in fact, omnivores. They are opportunistic and will eat whatever is available and appeals to them, including what they can catch or carrion. Domestic pigs have been known to snatch and eat poultry and small animals." https://www.minipiginfo.com/common-myths-about-pigs.html

Mine will eat crawdads, and snakes in a heartbeat. A chicken that got squashed in a feeding frenzy was a delicacy to them. Omnivores - not vegetarians.

 

[Matt n Lee]

Pigs are vegetarians.

I thought pigs were omnivores. Eating basically whatever they can catch. If they are strictly vegetarians then I certainly will reconsider feeding them meat scraps

What weight are you planning to slaughter at?

Pretty small. I plan to process them myself so they need to be manageable in size. 225-250lbs max. Me and a couple of my sons can handle that size to get it over to the wench.

Good luck with the new additions @Matt n Lee ! I'm looking fwd to following your thread!

View attachment 40201
(MY LATEST HAMPIES )​

Oh man those are some cute pig butts! Keeping from getting sweet on the pigs might be the hardest part

 

[Matt n Lee]

Sorry - but pigs are not vegetarians. They will, all on their own, capture and eat whatever meat product they can...be it your favorite chicken or even a baby goat.

"Pigs are, in fact, omnivores. They are opportunistic and will eat whatever is available and appeals to them, including what they can catch or carrion. Domestic pigs have been known to snatch and eat poultry and small animals." https://www.minipiginfo.com/common-myths-about-pigs.html

Mine will eat crawdads, and snakes in a heartbeat. A chicken that got squashed in a feeding frenzy was a delicacy to them. Omnivores - not vegetarians.

Beat me to it @frustratedearthmother

 

[Farmer Connie]

I thought pigs were omnivores. Eating basically whatever they can catch. If they are strictly vegetarians then I certainly will reconsider feeding them meat scraps

I will have to research that when I'm not mobile.. So don't hold me to that..lol. trying to remember who told me..

Pretty small. I plan to process them myself so they need to be manageable in size. 225-250lbs max. Me and a couple of my sons can handle that size to get it over to the wench.

My processor says the window for slaughter is 250/300# They are mature and will starting gaining fat instead of meat.

Oh man those are some cute pig butts! Keeping from getting sweet on the pigs might be the hardest part

It's easy to become disattached to them. Especially when handing over that money at the feed stores.. lol
But the BBQ smell takes the edge off it a lot..

 

[Farmer Connie]

I will have to research that when I'm not mobile.. So don't hold me to that..lol. trying to remember who told me..

My processor says the window for slaughter is 250/300# They are mature and will starting gaining fat instead of meat.

It's easy to become disattached to them. Especially when handing over that money at the feed stores.. lol
But the BBQ smell takes the edge off it a lot..

I texted hubby.. he says not raw meat. And he chooses not to provide any at all. He also said it is illegal is some places the feed pork meat to swine...
So please disregard my previous statement.

 

[Pastor Dave]

Didn't you ever watch Sopranos? Take the body out to some farm in New Jersey or New York state and feed it to the hogs. Nothing left to identify or prove there was a body.

 

[Farmer Connie]

Sorry - but pigs are not vegetarians. They will, all on their own, capture and eat whatever meat product they can...be it your favorite chicken or even a baby goat.

"Pigs are, in fact, omnivores. They are opportunistic and will eat whatever is available and appeals to them, including what they can catch or carrion. Domestic pigs have been known to snatch and eat poultry and small animals." https://www.minipiginfo.com/common-myths-about-pigs.html

Mine will eat crawdads, and snakes in a heartbeat. A chicken that got squashed in a feeding frenzy was a delicacy to them. Omnivores - not vegetarians.

I changed my wording.. thank you..
I have mini goats and chickens running with my Duroc Sow.. lol..
My Hamps would go after a goat though..