Specifically, talking about American Guinea Hogs. I like them, and am looking at the possibility of breeding once per sow before freezer camp right after weaning then selecting a choice piglet to become the next gen mother. Good idea / bad idea? My concept is to not have to contantly be feeding a full grown pig.
How Old Do Pigs Need to be to Breed?
- Thread starter bubba1358
- Start date
Four Winds Ranch
Loving the herd life
Your idea should work.
In order to do that on a continual basis you would have to feed one full grown pig either the sow or the boar (if I am understanding you correctly). If so, I would keep a sow because believe me, boars are a pain in the butt!
Unless you are going to go with AI, which would work too!
I don't know about American Guinea Hogs, but with our Duroc and Landraces, the gilts usually start cycling at about 3 months. We breed them at 6 months, any earlier, and they either don't catch anyway, or only have a small litter, seem to lack a bit of the mothering instincts, and the sow takes forever to reach butcher weight afterwards.
In order to do that on a continual basis you would have to feed one full grown pig either the sow or the boar (if I am understanding you correctly). If so, I would keep a sow because believe me, boars are a pain in the butt!
Unless you are going to go with AI, which would work too!
I don't know about American Guinea Hogs, but with our Duroc and Landraces, the gilts usually start cycling at about 3 months. We breed them at 6 months, any earlier, and they either don't catch anyway, or only have a small litter, seem to lack a bit of the mothering instincts, and the sow takes forever to reach butcher weight afterwards.
BHOBCFarms
Exploring the pasture
I suggest you reconsider your idea for a few reasons.
First, as another person mentioned, early breeding of gilts can yield smaller litters and more complications. Waiting until 6 months for breeding is probably going to get you more live piglets.
Second, as another poster mentioned, you might have to put in a lot of effort to get a sow back into condition prior to slaughter, considering that pregnancy and nursing takes a lot out of a sow, even if she is a mature and filled out sow prior to breeding. With your plan, you are breeding a relatively immature gilt who will not have had time to put on any size and condition to speak of to carry her thru pregnancy and nursing, so afterwards you might be surprised at how her condition, weight, muscle tone might suffer, and possibly take even longer to return to normal prior to slaughter.
Third, while you may be feeding an adult sow, she is rewarding you with a succession of progeny, all of which can go rapidly from weaning to freezer camp, in addition, if you keep a sow for a while, she becomes experienced as a mother, also increasing the number of live weanlings she produces. All of this, IMO makes the the care and feeding of said sow, more than worth it. If and when the sow's productivity goes down, you can then select on of her best daughters as a replacement. You don't have to keep a boar if you do AI.
First, as another person mentioned, early breeding of gilts can yield smaller litters and more complications. Waiting until 6 months for breeding is probably going to get you more live piglets.
Second, as another poster mentioned, you might have to put in a lot of effort to get a sow back into condition prior to slaughter, considering that pregnancy and nursing takes a lot out of a sow, even if she is a mature and filled out sow prior to breeding. With your plan, you are breeding a relatively immature gilt who will not have had time to put on any size and condition to speak of to carry her thru pregnancy and nursing, so afterwards you might be surprised at how her condition, weight, muscle tone might suffer, and possibly take even longer to return to normal prior to slaughter.
Third, while you may be feeding an adult sow, she is rewarding you with a succession of progeny, all of which can go rapidly from weaning to freezer camp, in addition, if you keep a sow for a while, she becomes experienced as a mother, also increasing the number of live weanlings she produces. All of this, IMO makes the the care and feeding of said sow, more than worth it. If and when the sow's productivity goes down, you can then select on of her best daughters as a replacement. You don't have to keep a boar if you do AI.
lacasse farms
Exploring the pasture
American Guinea hogs should be about 8 months old to breed. I to like the American Guinea hog and will be getting some once the farm is all set. We raised yorkshires when i was a child, I love pigs both alive and on the table. I would stick with one sow for a few years and then raise a weaned pig to replace her. People are always looking for a breeding sow so it wouldn't be hard to gain some of your money back. If you have access fruit trees and acorns can cut your food costs down quite a bit. When we raised ours my father worked for Country Kitchen Bread company and they would give him all of the expired bread to take home. I know of a few people that get stale donuts from Dunkin for free also.
