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theawesomefowl
Ridin' The Range
how can you "train" pigs?
Can a young person breed pigs? Are they hard to handle?
- Thread starter theawesomefowl
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- #12
theawesomefowl
Ridin' The Range
I found some peopl near me with Tamworths, and some people almost 4 hours away with GOS pigs. But they are both organic, and them Tamworth piglets are so EXPENSIVE!!!! 
Wow, I sure must be living in a different world!
I would highly recommend hogs to young people.
And I do through 4H.
Get a couple of weaners -- don't start out with breeders. Get 2 as they like companionship and they will grow faster since they like to compete for food.
Spend lots of time with them while they are little and get them used to being handled. Set up a couple of small pens that you can run them in and out of, reward them with some feed, and they will get used to being moved around. You may have to push them around the first time of course. Pigs are readily trained. Run them into the back of your trailer occasionally, and give them some feed, and butchering day will be a snap. Know before you start that you will get really attached to them, but the freezer is their destiny. That is real life.
Don't starve them between feedings and they won't go so crazy over the feed bucket or your feet etc. These are going to be market pigs, the idea is to grow them up as quickly and efficiently as possible. Running them hungry half the time kind of defeats the purpose. Pigs won't over eat if given decent feed. They eat until their caloric and nutitional needs are met. They only over eat if their food is not nutritionally adequate. Garbage in - garbage out. As the old ads used to say - Only the wealthy can afford cheap feed.
Respect their strength and power. But don't live in fear of them. Just be smart. (now cattle and horses are a different matter--if horses had more than a walnut sized brain they would kick us in the head and rule the world!)
Do you have an adult type who can give you assistance?
Learn some pig psychology. Did you know that pigs really only see you 2 dimensionally? Their brain turns your height and width into a projected length -- they think you are huge!
Check out the National Junior Swine Association - I think you can participate until you are 21.
This is my experience. Your mileage may vary.
Let your pigs run half wild out in a big pasture where you never interact with them, and, well, you may end up agreeing more with some of the other less enthusiastic posters.
I would highly recommend hogs to young people.
And I do through 4H.
Get a couple of weaners -- don't start out with breeders. Get 2 as they like companionship and they will grow faster since they like to compete for food.
Spend lots of time with them while they are little and get them used to being handled. Set up a couple of small pens that you can run them in and out of, reward them with some feed, and they will get used to being moved around. You may have to push them around the first time of course. Pigs are readily trained. Run them into the back of your trailer occasionally, and give them some feed, and butchering day will be a snap. Know before you start that you will get really attached to them, but the freezer is their destiny. That is real life.
Don't starve them between feedings and they won't go so crazy over the feed bucket or your feet etc. These are going to be market pigs, the idea is to grow them up as quickly and efficiently as possible. Running them hungry half the time kind of defeats the purpose. Pigs won't over eat if given decent feed. They eat until their caloric and nutitional needs are met. They only over eat if their food is not nutritionally adequate. Garbage in - garbage out. As the old ads used to say - Only the wealthy can afford cheap feed.
Respect their strength and power. But don't live in fear of them. Just be smart. (now cattle and horses are a different matter--if horses had more than a walnut sized brain they would kick us in the head and rule the world!)
Do you have an adult type who can give you assistance?
Learn some pig psychology. Did you know that pigs really only see you 2 dimensionally? Their brain turns your height and width into a projected length -- they think you are huge!
Check out the National Junior Swine Association - I think you can participate until you are 21.
This is my experience. Your mileage may vary.
Let your pigs run half wild out in a big pasture where you never interact with them, and, well, you may end up agreeing more with some of the other less enthusiastic posters.
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- #14
theawesomefowl
Ridin' The Range
Okay, thanks, I'd like to pursue this after I get my sheeples.
I have a pig person who I can call to talk to about pigs.
I have a pig person who I can call to talk to about pigs.
aggieterpkatie
The Shepherd
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Just remember, hundreds of thousands of 4-H kids raise pigs every single year! If they're a good 4-H project, they must not all be monsters. 
