Housing breeders - Together or not?

[quiltnchik]

I purchased a young breeding pair of American Guinea Hogs two weeks ago. Irene - the gilt - was born in August, and Magick (the boar) a month or so later (I don't have their papers yet, so I'm not sure about exact dates). Right now I have them pastured together, but I'm wondering if they'll need to be separated at some point. I've read where some people keep their breeders together all the time (especially those who pasture their pork in large herds), while others house the boar(s) separately. I do plan to purchase another gilt in the next month or so; that way I'll have 2 breeding sows and my one boar.

 

[Cornish Heritage]

We keep our boars with sows at all times - keeps the boar much happier. (We have Large Blacks) Now saying that we will sometimes switch the farrowing one out & give him a new one. He doesn't mind!

You really have to know your pigs so it will be trial & error for the first time round. See how they do together then decide if you need to handle things differently the next time round.

Liz

 

[HiddenOffice]

Mine stay in the pasture togather and the boar goes to lay under a tree when my 4 sows do their birthing. I also have 9 younger boars and gilts in the pasture(they are 4-6 months old). My sows are pregnant again and my 9 younger ones will be sold or in the freezer before the next group is born. When I did commercial Yorkshires we seperated the boar to control how many sows were in farrowing pens at a time but since I only have 4 AGH sows, they all breed the same week and birth at the same time. When the due dates are that close, they will start each other, makes it really nice. I've been doing hogs commercially and backyard for 40 years.

 

[dwbonfire]

is one sow enough for a boar?? i have a pair i plan to breed so i was happy to find this thread, but i know most people have more than one sow per boar, so im wondering if one will be enough for him to stay happy and things to be peaceful out there...

 

[quiltnchik]

is one sow enough for a boar?? i have a pair i plan to breed so i was happy to find this thread, but i know most people have more than one sow per boar, so im wondering if one will be enough for him to stay happy and things to be peaceful out there...

Interesting question - waiting to see replies. I currently only have one gilt, but I'm buying a sow in a few weeks after her current litter is weaned; that way I'll have the boar and 2 sows.