Best breed of meat pig?

[wannabeefarmgirl33]

Hi,

I am going to be raising a market pig for the first time this summer for the county fair in FFA. I am suppose to go to a action show thing in the beginning of April. I know that's a while away but I am trying to figure out what breed to look for. I am interested in Hampshires. How good of meat pigs are they? Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[TheSheepGirl]

The most common breeds for 4-H and FFA shows are Hampshire, Yorkshire, and Duroc along with a few others. Hampshires are a good choice, as they are very calm, grow well, and are easy to house.

My advice is to a bit of shopping around. Go and look at all the pigs for sale in your area and pick out the ones you feel are best. Be sure to look at the parents and the way they are housed. You want babies from pigs that are housed well, healthy, and well tempered.

Don't just jump on the first pigs you see and don't rely soley on bloodlines or big names in AI.

 

[Royd Wood]

Agree about Hamps - very easy to work with and fairly docile. A purebred is a slower growing pig though so that might be a prob