All of your pig talk got me in TROUBLE!

[Baymule]

Our first feeder pigs were too close for comfort, I carried a 5' piece of pipe in their pen. The second feeder pigs never gave me that creepy feeling up my back. The 3rd hogs got mean enough that I quit going in their pen.

Before I get feeder pigs again, I will build a dedicated hog pen with shelter and access to feeding and watering them from the outside.

 

[Matt n Lee]

We used electric fencing for their area...they figured that out REAL fast and were trained to it in 1 day. We now keep their feed tub near the wire same with their waterer and we can feed and water without having to step inside. We did however have to go in just a couple of days ago to adjust their shelter and put more hay for the cold weather. we got pushed around a bit and boots get bit. My most effective move is to start scratching him on the neck and back...he really likes it and tends to chill out a bit

 

[farmerjan]

Considering that they were wormy when you got them, they look pretty healthy and well fleshed for their size. But they are small in my opinion.
I was watching the video and caught most of what you are feeding them. It is not a diet designed for weight gain. I know there are differing opinions, but we do not feed any meat to our hogs. Period. The "old days" it was a real invite for Trich. I also feel it makes them more aggressive and if a chicken or something got in there, it would be dinner faster than a speeding bullet. We also feed free choice grain/hog feed. The hogs can access the feeder anytime they want. CORN is a veg - well actually it is a grain - but it is what any/all animals are fed for weight gain. It will not put on just fat because they are getting plenty of exercise to develop their muscles which will give you a firmer meat. Bread and milk will help with the weight gain, but too much will make a softer meat. Mine got all the veg waste from the garden, any waste fruits and other things like pumpkins, squash, whatever I had, milk especially soured, but they were also fed a balanced hog feed with the needed protein in order to get their bones and muscles to grow and develop. Normally by 6 months they should weigh 150 lbs or MORE. These are obviously purebreds due to the ear notching. Some of them are too closely bred so maybe they are from a line that is smaller than most Hamps. I was breeding my gilts at 8 months to farrow at 1 year and they were well over 200 when they had their first litter.
I also think that there may be some differences in the temps you have as opposed to ours further north. They may not gain as fast in the warmer climate. I don't have any experience with temps any further south than here in Va..

I think you would have a better weight gain if they were getting a balanced hog grower type feed with the needed protein (often from soybeans) for bone and muscle growth, and with added corn for both energy and to put weight on them. Along with any all veg garden fruit that you have.

 

[farmerjan]

Hogs can get very pushy. The trick is to set limits from the very first. Don't let them ever chew on your boots, sneakers, clothes, anything. A good short stick and a serious tap on the nose will help. Pigs love attention. Rubs and scratches are very good ways to direct their wanting attention and being pushy, to being very happy to see you. We have had a few mean ones, but very few. A mean sow never got a second chance. They can tear you apart fast. But I have attended to many sows over the years while farrowing and worked in the pens with them while their pigs are there. Still, you never relax your vigilance. By the same token, the less interaction you have with them, ie. in and out of the pen, the more likely they will seem more aggressive because they have not been taught to respect you. They can be trained like a dog, and are pretty dang smart. But you can't let them get away with murder when they are sooooo cute, then expect them to understand that at 100 lbs it is not allowed anymore.

 

[Matt n Lee]

Very good info there @farmerjan . It might not be showing in the videos but they are getting a balanced hog feed along with the scraps you are seeing. They are actually Hampshire/Yorkshire mix I dont know if that matters on your assessment. They do seem very lean and powerfully built to be honest. Surprisingly so, but Im a complete hog noobie so everything is surprising to me at this point. I would think the larger(older by 1 month) is 100lbs. He wont allow for a full measuring and it isnt so important to me that I am willing to force him. So their weights will just be guesses until I get a hanging weight.

 

[farmerjan]

No, I didn't see the hog feed so that is definitely a plus in your favor. They just might be going through the catchup phase after getting them wormed.
One thing you might not realize is that todays' hogs in general, are much leaner than than hogs of old. All the more "modern breeds" today have been developed to be leaner because hog fat (lard) is not wanted by processors. You would have to go to some of the older less "modernized breeds" , like large blacks, some lines of chesters, gloucester (sp?) old spots, to get more of a "fat" type hog. Yorks have been bred away from fat, Hamps and some others too. Durocs still retain some of their fattier aspects. Tamwoths are very lean and good graziers. So, you have some of the best cross for a good lean meat hog. Extra milk and "fattier food" like waste bread, will make them put on some fat, but they are not really bred for it.

 

[Matt n Lee]

I had read as much about the newer breeds being leaner and it makes sense with the lack of people using lard. I guess what I find interesting is that seem to be built in the shape of bulldog more than a pig. We did recently start getting fresh milk from our neighbor and the pigs are getting some of that as well as whey when we make cheese. I might make an effort to get them more bread since you mentioned it. We have a day old bakery place near by.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Sometimes you just have slow growing pigs. That is why we just butchered our two barrows. They have been on the same feed as everyone else, in the same pens, etc but just wouldn't put on weight. The barrows were a berk cross that were born in april, we just butchered them finally and they were only approx 225lbs. That's 8+ months old and only around 225lbs, they should have been 250+lbs at 6 months old. Our hereford trio are just 7 months old and are larger then the barrows were by 50-75lbs.

Are you after lard? The fattest pig we have atm is a chester white, she is so fat she cant even open her eyes all the way and she is on the same feed and in the same pen as our other big girls who are all trim and in excellent condition for farrow. Our lean girls are Duroc, Berk, York, and a tiny bit of spot, our hereford trio is really impressively lean but they come from show stock.

I would agree with @farmerjan if you want lard look for Large Black(LBP), mulefoot, Spot, or potbelly. The cross you have is going to be an uphill battle to get fat on them and to get it to stick, by the time you have them anything near the fat a "lard pig" would have your going to have $15 porkchops. Also keep in mind there are two pig types....lard pigs and bacon pigs...it hards to get both off one animal. If you set on needing lard....raise them past 250lbs and pick females. After 250lbs pigs put on more fat then muscle per lb of feed and females are always more fatty then males, additionally butcher in late fall/early winter when they are storing up fat reserves for winter.

 

[Matt n Lee]

Thanks for your insight @misfitmorgan . We very well may have slow growing pigs, which wouldnt be the end of the world for us. I dont have any heavy equipment and we will be processing at home so I cant let them get too big anyway.

We arent after lard. I was just expressing my surprise at how lean they are. I think before you have pigs you have ideas in your head about what you expect them to be and they have been surprising on a few points for us. Their build I mentioned, but their athleticism has been surprising, also they wont eat just anything. I have had them turn their nose up to a few different things. They definitely have a preference to wet hog feed versus just dry out of the bag. Just different things you learn by having them, that you likely wont pick up just by researching them.

Im looking at processing in February at the latest. I will do it earlier if I think they are getting too big for me and my boys to lift. Somewhere from 180-200lbs ish is what Im shooting for. So basically double the size of the larger hog in the video.

 

[farmerjan]

I think you will be pleasantly surprised with them the end of Feb. They may not be as big as you had pictured in your mind, but I think they will weigh more than you think because it will be lean muscle; I think they will have nice hams and pork chops and such. Hopefully too they will have nice bacon.
Hamps, and yorks for that matter are more athletic than some other breeds. My durocs weren't near as active and the Chester whites were just as laid back as they come. Landrace and tamworths are VERY lean and the Landrace are known as bacon hogs. Berks are a nice middle of the road and the meat is very good as their meat will actually marble. I really liked the hamp/duroc cross for both disposition and carcass. Besides we had some really cute little red with white belts on the piglets.