I want a pig! Any breed suggestions?

[JInSouthMS]

i second the American Guinea Hog as a suggested breed i read up on them after i read this and now i want some!

 

[wanttobefarmer]

Wow i'm thinking of getting a couple feeder pigs next year and would love any pics you have of your pigs, their hog hut and or fencing thanks

hey Poupoulles!

once you have feeder pigs you'll never go back!

what breed (never raised pigs before)
- we had blue butts last year, this year we have a tamworth and a herford cross... but unless you breed i'm not entirely sure it makes a huge difference. most of the feeder pigs seem to be about the same


what kind of fencing/enclosure?
- last year we had hog panels on tposts - which they got out of. this year we have electric and no one's getting out of that

how much room per pig?
- i'm pretty sure there are specs somewhere. we have ours out there 'free ranging' - and they are hogging down a big patch of poison ivy and underbrush. so we have a pretty big area. contrast this with the neighbors who are raising their 3 show pigs in an 8x8 shed on concrete. so it depends on what farming theory you subscribe to. if you are in a hot region they will need a lot of water and will make their own wallow - we just wet down a low spot and they did the rest. they now have a pig swimming pool which we keep filled. on the hottest days we spray them down with the hose at midday.

what kind of house do they need?
- we built the 'hog hut 2008' with 3 pallets for sides and a hillbillied together roof with asphalt tiles i dug out of the ground.. despite the teasing, disbelief, and mocking from my hubby - its bone dry and we are using it again. they really just need shelter from the rain and sun - a 3 sided shed is fine. remember that you will probably slaughter in the fall so it doesnt need to be perfect.

what about transport to the processor (about an hour away by slow back country roads)
- we got ours home in the back of a crappy ford ranger with the cap on. when they were little we used the "ham in a can" method and transported them in a big garbage can down to their area. ours have a one way trip as we slaughter on site. a lot of people just use stock trailers.


Any advice, suggestions etc..
- the storey's book on hog raising is a great reference but my biggest advice is dont over think it - just go and get them pigs and prepare for the best bacon of your life!
- my second piece of advice is - unlike what everyone warned me about falling in love with them... i did not. not even remotely. pigs are not like dogs..i guess, unless you snuggle them but we dont. i hated those stupid pigs all summer. they got out a couple times, they blew snot all over me every day, they were stinky... but man.. the ham is so darn good and once they are in the freezer they are no trouble at all!
- and last, in all seriousness, they are big and incredibly strong and can be dangerous. as a not-big-person, i never go near them without a stock cane and 2 big dogs. it was not funny at all when one of them started coming over the fence at me when i was bringing their feed. many old school farmers would never let their kids near them unsupervised.

good luck!
and pm me if you have specific q's