High Desert Cowboy- How far is it up north?

[High Desert Cowboy]

As of this minute I have about 2000. 600 more coming tomorrow. This is my full time job I run a 5000+ sow farm and raise piglets to wean age (about 28 days). The choice gilts will go on to be replacement breeding sows and the barrows and other gilts will go to a nursery, finisher, and then to processing. And your correct @greybeard this tariff war is not going to do the pork industry any favors in the short run, but we certainly won’t be the only ones, farmers as a whole are going to suffer. From what I’ve been reading though it’s the soybean farmers who are really going to be hurting in all of this.

 

[Baymule]

Do you keep them in a barn over a lagoon or are they pastured or dirt hogs?

My pig experience is 2-3 feeder pigs a year. I am more that happy to support breeders, I just don't want to be a hog breeder. The breeds I've had so far are Large Black/Berkshire cross, Red Wattle, mixed breed of unknown origin, and currently I have 2 Hereford hogs.

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

They are in barns with a lagoon. There are 4 1/2 barns, 1 for breeding, 1 1/2 for gestation, and two for farrowing. All of these barns have a pit with water that are connected by pipes to a main lagoon. I’ve never had an opportunity to deal with red wattles or Herefords.

 

[Baymule]

I was very happy with the Red Wattles, they took a little longer to grow off than commercial breeds. I believe it is important to keep the heritage breeds alive, so those gene pools are not lost. I am happy to buy from breeders of heritage hogs. I wanted Herefords every since I first read about them and I got 2 this year from a breeder that raises registered Herefords (mine aren't registered).

The Red Wattle hogs were the only ones that didn't give me the creep factor. I never felt uneasy with them. The Large Black/Berkshires always tried to bite, so I carried a pipe when I had to go in the pen. Now I have a Pig Palace, a 3 sided shelter that I can feed from the outside, and a water barrel with a hog nipple.

Do you raise the piglets up to slaughter size or sell as weaners?

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

All piglets are sold to nurseries as weaners. About 28 days of age is the goal. It really helps ADGs in the long run as there is less stress at weaning.

 

[Baymule]

What is ADGs?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Average Daily Gain?

 

[Baymule]

Average Daily Gain?

Makes sense to me!

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

Average daily gains. How much weight the animal gains each day as it grows. A sows lactation peaks at 15 days or so, meaning she’s still producing milk, but not in sufficient quantity to sustain an older, larger piglet. This essentially forces them to start looking for other food, ie creep feed. I like providing it at 12 days so that they have time to play with and familiarize themselves with it, making for an easier transition. At 28 days they’ve had over two weeks to adjust, so the wean process isn’t as stressful, because while they do change location they’re already familiar with solid food nd water nipples and really don’t need mom. Without that stress delay they can really grow, and thats helping your average daily gain or ADG.
Sorry a long winded answer, but I always get asked why we hold on to piglets until 28 days as opposed to 21 or even 17.

 

[Baymule]

Sorry a long winded answer, but I always get asked why we hold on to piglets until 28 days as opposed to 21 or even 17.

17 days, wow that is young. It sounds like to me that you are putting the welfare of the animal first, which results in an healthier weaner piglet. Good for you.