PIGLETS!!!

[secuono]

Most people don't keep and breed human aggressive sows. They are a huge liability.
My current PB sow couldn't care less what I was doing around her or the piglets as long as they didn't cry for too long. Then she'd come over to us and threaten me with some grunting to put her piglet down.

 

[Mini Horses]

They are normally very good mothers. Many years ago the first sows I had to farrow had theirs in Jan/Feb and about 8" of snow night before! They were in a nice barn with plenty of straw bedding. Big sows, big litters. Went out to check and saw NO piggies. WHAT?? That sow had covered the entire line up of piglets with straw! She'd uncover, lay down for nursing, up and recover them I was amazed. Only two I ever had for babies and did not know they had their own "private" teat. LOL, cool.

I will remember that when I have the two current gilts bred for next Summer/Fall....AGH so not huge like the ones above who were the 300+ type.

Your piglets are so CUTE!! Love the spots.

 

[Pamela]

Mama pig really wants to be closer to her babies. She keeps digging out the dirt under her crate and scooting under it as far as she can get. I figure we will give the babies a day or so more to get stronger and faster and then we will let her out of the crate. No point in keeping them separate if she is doing a good job.

 

[jk47]

Glad you got a good litter
There going to make some good bacon for you or your buyers

 

[Mini Horses]

Question for you ---

You say you are going to rebreed, then butcher the boar....make sausage. I'm interested in the taste of the meat from a "used" boar. Realize age, amount of use, etc. all make a difference but I have 2 little AGH that are not cut, but could be, only 3.5 mos old. I had a huge boar cut at about 450#, waited 2 months, then butchered. No issues with bad/strong taste. Hog had never been used or even around any others.

What has been your experience?

I have 2 female, 2 male (not related to female sisters) and plan to separate boys/girls, then use one male to breed early summer, butchering 2nd boy. Hoping the testosterone won't be an issue if I don't cut the one. And, wanted to let them grow out to decide which one to "keep" for use now, maybe later.

The AGH are smaller, so not such a glut of meat at once. Very amicable, good moms.....we'll see how much I want to keep them come Spring/Summer, LOL. I can say this, they do not have the stench of most pigs -- may change with age & weather.

 

[Pamela]

I haven't tried uncut boar before, and I am not terribly excited to try it now. However, since it is my husband that will have to do the cutting, if he chooses not to do it, I get we will just roll with it. I'm not going to do it, our boar is 700 lbs! I do know that several years ago we bought an old sow and butchered her. Her chops were icky, but her sausage was great. I am hoping that since this boar will go all into sausage that it won't be that big of deal. I will let you know how it goes.

 

[Ferguson K]

We have eaten many shapes and sizes of hogs around here. Very rarely can you tell the taste difference if you cut then up right. In wild pigs we remove everything in the genital region before we start cutting. Scent glands, testes, tubes, etc.

We recently butchered several males that we waited long in life to castrate. They were never in sight of a female, not to say they didn't wind any. Haven't noticed a taste in any of their meat. Two if the boys were used in a birthday party ( large family ) and no one said anything.

Personally I prefer castrated meat. I worry about hormones more than taste. Pig's are just to close to ours. Husband says I'm insane. LOL!

 

[Baymule]

Here is a link to a site by Walter Jeffries. He raises hogs and never castrates.

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2009/04/08/tainted-big-pharma/

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2006/03/28/boar-meat/

 

[Poka_Doodle]

What breed are they?

 

[Pamela]

They are a Hampshire cross. Crossed with what? We think the boar is a duroc.