Getting ready to purchase some Large Blacks

[Oakroot]

I too am interested in getting into hogs. One thing to keep in mind that we considered when looking at hogs is size. Large blacks are huge which by its self is not an issue because many have great personalities but remember a hog that big is super hard on fences, if one dies back in your property it can be a heck of a time getting it out. Transporting them is more difficult. They can injure children and your animals more easily just by accident. Everything about those extra large breeds is just harder then with a smaller breed. Since neither myself or my husband are super big burly people, and we plan to have children and other animals around, we decided to go with the Guinea hog which has most of the same great features of the large black but with out the poundage. I grew up working stallions, drafts, super hot blooded warmblooded etc so I am used to working with massive animals but hogs are a whole 'nother level of powerful. Just something I found helpful to think about.

Please keep us updated on how your farm goes! We are just setting our place up as well.

 

[Cornish Heritage]

Whoo Hoo! First let me congratulate you on getting Large Blacks which IMO are the best pigs in the world (Very biased here!) HOWEVER let me caution you on your plan of only getting 2 gilts to start with. This is a common mistake that many folks make & then we, as breeders, get a call 12mths down the road asking us where to buy a boar. Mature boars are hard to find & especially in a rare breed llike the Large Blacks. 12mths from now, you cannot go buy a boar piglet & wait for it to grow up. By that time you will have wasted a lot of feed & productivity on your sow not to mention the longer you wait to breed the more risk you run of her not being as fertile. SO my advice would be to purchase a boar now. You may need to travel a little further to get one unrelated BUT there are several breeders on teh east coast.

As for your breeder not taking back sows to breed, good for them. We will not do that here either - biosecurity, do not want to bring the risk of disease into our herd.

Your comment on are you going to be able to sell them is entirely up to you. If you go in with the mindset that you are going to sell some off cheap then in all honesty you are not doing yourself or anyone else any favors. These pigs are VERY different from the commercial pig & need to be marketed differently. It's a waste of time trying to compete with the commercial guy as they grow slower, taste WAY better & are able to be out on pasture. Marketing takes time, effort & money. Do your research. Look at your local farmer's markets. Talk with local chefs who are crying out for heritage meat. There is a market out there but it is NOT going to come knocking at your door, you have to go find it. We have literally sold our LB's all over the USA, even to Alaska, but it took time to build up to that & your customer service has to A1.

Fencing - train those weaners to electric netting first. Premier1 has a new pig netting out that is supposed to be excellent. Our weaners are all behind netting for about 2 mths before we move them to pasture. Perimeter fence? Think wild animals. Nothing less than Hi-Tensile woven is what I would recommend. Wild hogs are becoming a big problem & are spreading so think to the future. You need to keep things out not just in.

Hope this helps,

Liz