Thoughts on Pigs and Pig Raising - Page 3

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Thoughts on Pigs and Pig Raising (Page 3 of 4)

Posted: 1/25/2015 11:50:20 PM EDT

[#1]

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I haven't run a hot wire for several years. That setup works nicely but we get by with just the hog panels. I do use a hot wire at times to section off portions of their grazing area. Will the pigs dig on the fenceline without the hotwire? Yep. I deal with that by filling holes pro-actively befoire they get too deep. I think I only had to fill one hole so far in 2014. In your situation, I'd suggest skipping the hot wire at least until you see how much your GOS like to dig. Talk to the breeder......I don't think GOS are big diggers but I could be wrong on that.

A majority of pastured pig people fence only with 2 strands of hot wire. This approach seems to work fine for them. The decision to go this route is largely driven by economics-- 50 hog panels (800 linear feet of fence) will cost about $1200 in panels alone. It's MUCH cheaper to fence with polywire. With that said, it's good to at least have a basic "home pen" enclosed a physical fence--pigs MUST be trained to a hot wire and it's easy to run a strand or two inside the physically fenced area to train them to the wire.

Once you settle on a fence strategy you'll need to make dencisions on housing, feeding and watering.

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Now for some fencing. Looks like you're using standard hog panels, with maybe a hot wire run around down towards the bottom (?).... pretty much what I was planning on. Do you have any problems with rooting under the fence with that setup? Anything you'd do differently with the benefit of hindsight?

I haven't run a hot wire for several years. That setup works nicely but we get by with just the hog panels. I do use a hot wire at times to section off portions of their grazing area. Will the pigs dig on the fenceline without the hotwire? Yep. I deal with that by filling holes pro-actively befoire they get too deep. I think I only had to fill one hole so far in 2014. In your situation, I'd suggest skipping the hot wire at least until you see how much your GOS like to dig. Talk to the breeder......I don't think GOS are big diggers but I could be wrong on that.

A majority of pastured pig people fence only with 2 strands of hot wire. This approach seems to work fine for them. The decision to go this route is largely driven by economics-- 50 hog panels (800 linear feet of fence) will cost about $1200 in panels alone. It's MUCH cheaper to fence with polywire. With that said, it's good to at least have a basic "home pen" enclosed a physical fence--pigs MUST be trained to a hot wire and it's easy to run a strand or two inside the physically fenced area to train them to the wire.

Once you settle on a fence strategy you'll need to make dencisions on housing, feeding and watering.

On the subject of housing - what do I need for housing to raise 2-3 hogs? How much fenced in space for them?

Posted: 2/20/2015 9:57:08 PM EDT

[#2]

Well, balls.

Went out to feed the pigs last weekend and found our little gilt injured. She weighs maybe 230 pounds right now. She couldn't stand up and was dragging herself around with her front legs.

On further inspection, we found that her tail was amputated. I'm thinking that the mean sow she cohabitates with bit her tail off and perhaps injured her left rear leg. Her left hind leg appears to be dead. Maybe a spinal cord injury? Dunno.

In any case, we hoisted her up and hustled her into a farrowing hut. The sows didn't help us and were a PITA to the point where things were a bit dicey for a bit.

Got her into the hospital hut......and there she's been until now. Won't stand up but will eat and drink and try to bite us when we mess with her. She's still fast with her front end.

Hand feeding and watering is a bitch in this weather. We've been doing it hoping she'd recover but things aren't looking good.If she doesn't get up tomorrow morning, she will meet her Maker.

Sometimes farm life sucks ass, big time.

Posted: 2/20/2015 10:15:54 PM EDT

[#3]

Oh man, sorry to hear that.

I was curious how the pig things was going with all this super cold weather this year.

Posted: 2/20/2015 10:31:13 PM EDT

[#4]

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Oh man, sorry to hear that.

I was curious how the pig things was going with all this super cold weather this year.

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Thanks for the condolences.

The pigs, overall, are pretty bullet proof. We bed them heavily in straw, they dive under it and they're happy. They're adept at letting us know when they're unhappy so I don't think the cold weather has been an issue thus far.

The pigs aren't as bullet proof as the turkeys though...those birds are freakish in their ability to withstand miserable weather.

Posted: 2/20/2015 10:32:50 PM EDT

[#5]

Newbie here--good to see a hog thread to bookmark

It's probably somewhere in here. asking anyway...

Do you have to wear latex to cut up a shoat against trickinosis and brucilosis (spelling) like you do with a wild one?

I cut up deer and beefs and don't use them except for guts.

Posted: 2/21/2015 7:10:58 AM EDT

[#6]

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Do you have to wear latex to cut up a shoat against trickinosis and brucilosis (spelling) like you do with a wild one?

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Not if the pigs have been properly cared for.

Posted: 2/21/2015 1:14:25 PM EDT

[#7]

Bad morning for Spotty. She couldn't stand up.

Her lights went out instantly and now she won't be cold anymore.

Posted: 2/21/2015 1:46:12 PM EDT

[#8]

Sucks for her.

But….bacon.

Posted: 2/21/2015 1:50:30 PM EDT

[#9]

Posted: 2/21/2015 2:11:50 PM EDT

[#10]

Sorry about Spotty

.

Just curious, what do you do with the hide, head, and offal?

Posted: 2/21/2015 3:16:02 PM EDT

[#11]

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Sorry about Spotty

.

Just curious, what do you do with the hide, head, and offal?

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Today? It's getting landfilled.

Nine degrees here currently and both my tractor and my skidloader are frozen up. If the weather was better, I'd compost all of it.

Posted: 2/21/2015 4:14:58 PM EDT

[#12]

We AI'ed our Sow for the first time this last Monday-Tuesday so piglets sometime around the 2nd week of June if she took.

Posted: 2/21/2015 7:06:47 PM EDT

[#13]

We are having schweine schnitzel tonight in honor (?) of your loss.

Next Sat., when we have a crew over to help us do the spring works on the cattle, we will chow on beef.

We try to keep our program fun.

Posted: 2/21/2015 7:33:16 PM EDT

[#14]

Sometimes unexpected things happen. Seems like it is usually at the worst possible time, too.

You were fortunate to be able to salvage what appears to be a very nicely finished carcass. Now that you have processed one, would you say that it is something you might consider doing again or does it confirm that having a processor do the job is well worth the money? My experience has been that it isn't much more trouble or difficult than processing a deer but taking the next step up to processing a beef is a lot more trouble due to carcass handling issues caused by size/bulk. It takes a pretty stout table to hold 1/4 of a beef!

I can't discern any damage to the hind quarters from your photo. Were you able to determine if there was any issue with her hips? I recall having cows get down on ice which pretty much always ended up with them going to freezer camp. Was she bred? Just wondering if you noticed the number of pigs she would have had. If she wasn't, the other sows could have rode her down on the ice if she (or they) were in heat.

There could have been some kind of nerve damage caused by traumatic amputation of the tail. I don't recall ever having any tail issues but I know that commercial hog growers universally dock the tails. I guess if it only causes a problem once in 100 times it is too many.

Sorry to hear of the problem but happy to see you've been able to make the best of a bad situation.

Posted: 2/21/2015 8:56:42 PM EDT

[#15]

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You were fortunate to be able to salvage what appears to be a very nicely finished carcass. Now that you have processed one, would you say that it is something you might consider doing again or does it confirm that having a processor do the job is well worth the money? My experience has been that it isn't much more trouble or difficult than processing a deer but taking the next step up to processing a beef is a lot more trouble due to carcass handling issues caused by size/bulk. It takes a pretty stout table to hold 1/4 of a beef!

I can't discern any damage to the hind quarters from your photo. Were you able to determine if there was any issue with her hips? I recall having cows get down on ice which pretty much always ended up with them going to freezer camp. Was she bred? Just wondering if you noticed the number of pigs she would have had. If she wasn't, the other sows could have rode her down on the ice if she (or they) were in heat.

There could have been some kind of nerve damage caused by traumatic amputation of the tail. I don't recall ever having any tail issues but I know that commercial hog growers universally dock the tails. I guess if it only causes a problem once in 100 times it is too many.

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I was fortunate to have some high quality help available. (Friends are important.

) We had her killed, hung, skinned and gutted in 2 hours.

With that said, we didn't break her down any further. I'm taking two more hogs over to my butcher on Monday. I talked with him about having a "downer hog" and he told me he'd cut her up for me for $25 if I brought her in cleaned and skinned. So that's what I'm gonna do.

He charges $69 for kill/cut on a hog in usual circumstances. It's kinda a no brainer for me. I'm not so bitten by the "authenticity" bug that I have to break my hogs down to cuts by myself. The butcher's charges are a drop in the bucket.

This was not a bred gilt. She was destined to be a sow replacer but during her illness we detected some undesirable traits in her, namely aggression. She was not a "nice" pig. I had seen signs of this in handling her previously but had shelved the issue mentally as we try to get through the cold season.

I wasn't able to determine any particular pathology based on the butchering that we did. She had some large lymph nodes up in the pelvis on the side that was injured so maybe she had a monoarticular infectious arthritis on that side. Dunno.

In any case, it is as you said, "best outcome in a bad situation."

Posted: 2/21/2015 9:00:32 PM EDT

[#16]

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We AI'ed our Sow for the first time this last Monday-Tuesday so piglets sometime around the 2nd week of June if she took.

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How'd your AI go? What semen did you use?

Posted: 2/21/2015 11:23:01 PM EDT

[#17]

AI went about as well as could be expected for someone who has never done it..lol

we used some semen from a Berkshire one of our neighbors have used in the past.

Posted: 2/21/2015 11:23:14 PM EDT

[#18]

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How'd your AI go? What semen did you use?

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We AI'ed our Sow for the first time this last Monday-Tuesday so piglets sometime around the 2nd week of June if she took.

How'd your AI go? What semen did you use?

Pig semen I hope

.

Posted: 2/26/2015 4:44:33 PM EDT

[#19]

Took our last load of hogs for the year to the butcher this week.

Hanging weights:

380 pounds (sow, pig on the right in the first post of the thread)

292 pounds (big barrow)

182 pounds (gilt we cleaned here)

The barrow let himself out of his stall shortly after we left the butcher. He was romping out in the butcher's pasture. The butcher and five other guys recovered him, thankfully. I took over a nice lunch spread for them today....some nice smoked pork BBQ with all the fixings. Figured it was appropriate for their efforts at retrieving that damn pig. (He was a PITA ever since he was born.)

So I now have 20 pounds of belly on cure for pancetta. (Sorry, no pics.)

Have half the pork sold, the rest will come home to us. I don't think we'll be short on pork for a good while.

Posted: 2/26/2015 7:08:09 PM EDT

[#20]

Does selling half of the pork help to offset the feed and butcher cost? Or are you just ridding what you don't need?

Posted: 2/27/2015 9:33:25 PM EDT

[#21]

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Today? It's getting landfilled.

Nine degrees here currently and both my tractor and my skidloader are frozen up. If the weather was better, I'd compost all of it.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Sorry about Spotty

.

Just curious, what do you do with the hide, head, and offal?

Today? It's getting landfilled.

Nine degrees here currently and both my tractor and my skidloader are frozen up. If the weather was better, I'd compost all of it.

I don't compost anymore, but somewhere heard fat wasn't good for the heap so I never put meat or fat in there.

Posted: 2/28/2015 1:40:24 PM EDT

[#22]

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Does selling half of the pork help to offset the feed and butcher cost? Or are you just ridding what you don't need?

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When we were selling 2-3 pigs a year we were offsetting costs. This year we sold enough of the 2014 pigs to actually make some money when expenses were factored in. Figure low 4 figures.

Posted: 2/28/2015 1:46:27 PM EDT

[#23]

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I don't compost anymore, but somewhere heard fat wasn't good for the heap so I never put meat or fat in there.

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You need a BIG pile to compost meat. But if you have a big enough pile it's does OK. Some folks compost their dead cows.

For us, we squeak by with the occasional meat offering.

I wouldn't recommend composting meat byproducts to anyone turning a pile by hand. (This isn't directed at you FG....I know you have machines.)

Posted: 3/7/2015 4:48:07 PM EDT

[#24]

Pancetta-cured bellies going in the cold smoker.

Posted: 3/8/2015 3:24:50 PM EDT

[#25]

It's nice to have meat hanging in the pantry drying again. It's been a while for us.

We had two fresh bellies from the pig we had to sacrifice a few weeks ago. A quarter went to pancetta tesa, another quarter went to rolled pancetted and the remainder went to smoked pancetta. She has almost come full circle.

Now for the weather to cooperate.........

Posted: 3/9/2015 7:44:55 PM EDT

[#26]

Very nice! I have half a belly in the freezer that I'll start in the cure this week now that the weather has broke & I can maintain temp in the smoker.

Posted: 4/26/2015 8:41:37 PM EDT

[#27]

It doesn't get much better than this.

The gilt in the front is a registered Berkshire. We AI'd her a month ago and are hoping for a litter mid-July. She's a nice pig.

Posted: 4/27/2015 9:43:59 AM EDT

[#28]

Life's good, snoozing in a bale of hay.

Posted: 5/7/2015 7:58:41 PM EDT

[#29]

First day this year that the pigs really appreciated having a wallow. I'm sure there'll be many more to come.

Am currently in the process of replacing all my T-posts with wooden posts. We did fine with hog panels zip-tied to T-posts when we we just grew the pigs to market weight but the big sow has no problem defeating that setup. Fortunately we haven't had to corral lose pigs too often.......

Posted: 5/7/2015 9:56:30 PM EDT

[#30]

We have talked about raising our own for a few years. After reading Ferals great post we decided theres no better time than the present.

Posted: 5/7/2015 11:01:32 PM EDT

[#31]

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We have talked about raising our own for a few years. After reading Ferals great post we decided theres no better time than the present.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn185/hunter10196/pigs.jpeg

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Awesome.

Posted: 5/7/2015 11:21:55 PM EDT

[#32]

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We have talked about raising our own for a few years. After reading Ferals great post we decided theres no better time than the present.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn185/hunter10196/pigs.jpeg

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Nice bacon and pork chop investment.

Posted: 5/15/2015 5:58:48 PM EDT

[#33]

I am debating on keeping a couple back and trying A.I myself. I have looked online and have only found a couple high end breeders. When you did your A.I did you buy local or acquire from the internet?

I found a boar locally but I really dont want the expense of housing a boar. A.I seems to be the cost effective route.

Posted: 5/15/2015 7:55:21 PM EDT

[#34]

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I am debating on keeping a couple back and trying A.I myself. I have looked online and have only found a couple high end breeders. When you did your A.I did you buy local or acquire from the internet?

I found a boar locally but I really dont want the expense of housing a boar. A.I seems to be the cost effective route.

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Good for you for taking the plunge!

We buy our semen online. There's a fella a couple of counties over who has nice stock but we haven't gone over to buy from him as yet. It's a five hour round trip and we haven't yet had the need to visit him.

You didn't ask for advice, but I'll throw a little bit out there. DON'T get into AI until you have a few years of doing feeder pigs under your belt. You really need to work out the kinks in your operation (trust me, there will be kinks) before diving into AI. If you have questions, feel free to ask.

Posted: 5/15/2015 9:21:26 PM EDT

[#35]

I'm ready for the next batch of feeders but my source has dried up. People are asking $100-$125 for feeders in central PA & northern MD, seems about &25-$50 high to me. I might try the Carlisle or New Holland feeder pig sales. Got any advice?

Posted: 5/15/2015 11:34:17 PM EDT

[#36]

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I'm ready for the next batch of feeders but my source has dried up. People are asking $100-$125 for feeders in central PA & northern MD, seems about &25-$50 high to me. I might try the Carlisle or New Holland feeder pig sales. Got any advice?

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This is my reason for wanting to start my own small operation. I had to travel a 100 miles and pay $100 a piece for mine. I have lots of people interested.

I grew up around this sort of thing, the difference is I was a laborer then and now would be making all the decisions.

Posted: 5/16/2015 8:36:52 AM EDT

[#37]

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I'm ready for the next batch of feeders but my source has dried up. People are asking $100-$125 for feeders in central PA & northern MD, seems about &25-$50 high to me. I might try the Carlisle or New Holland feeder pig sales. Got any advice?

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That does seem to be the going rate these days. I know that I wouldn't sell weaners for less than $100 with feed costs being what they are.

As you mentioned, the auctions are certainly an option.

I did run across this CL ad: Pigs for sale

Posted: 5/16/2015 9:20:26 PM EDT

[#38]

Although reasonably priced that's pretty far out of my AOR.

Posted: 5/16/2015 10:10:29 PM EDT

[#39]

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Although reasonably priced that's pretty far out of my AOR.

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I'm seeing $100-150 her as well.

Posted: 5/16/2015 11:37:40 PM EDT

[#40]

We will be raising 5 pigs this year, we should be getting the piglets in the next week or so. We were suppose to have them already but things happens sometimes. we have pre sold 3.5-4 of the pigs so that is good. we will be raising them in the woods and once we get them set up I will try to take some pics for everyone.

Posted: 5/19/2015 5:34:38 PM EDT

[#41]

I'm getting back into the hog raising business after about 15 years out. I had my own breeding operation in high school and early college. The terrible market prices in the late 90's, combined with college and starting a family led me to give it up.

Well, the kids are bigger, getting into 4-H and interested in the farm life and so I now have 7 hogs. 2 barrows and 5 gilts, and a bunch of willing, but novice help.

When we brought them home. 3 crossbreds and 4 purebred Berks.

Posted: 5/20/2015 4:54:50 PM EDT

[#42]

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I'm getting back into the hog raising business after about 15 years out. I had my own breeding operation in high school and early college. The terrible market prices in the late 90's, combined with college and starting a family led me to give it up.

Well, the kids are bigger, getting into 4-H and interested in the farm life and so I now have 7 hogs. 2 barrows and 5 gilts, and a bunch of willing, but novice help.

http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz194/Dreadhelm78/Farm/hogs_zpsbkwmjxbz.jpg

When we brought them home. 3 crossbreds and 4 purebred Berks.

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You got yourself a passel o' pigs there!

The Berks look like they have show pig genetics. Are your kids gonna take them to the fair?

Posted: 5/20/2015 6:57:48 PM EDT

[#43]

Y'all sure make me miss the country life. Grew up with horses and cattle. Would love to move back.

Very informative thread!

Posted: 5/21/2015 1:19:52 PM EDT

[#44]

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You got yourself a passel o' pigs there!

The Berks look like they have show pig genetics. Are your kids gonna take them to the fair?

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Quoted:
I'm getting back into the hog raising business after about 15 years out. I had my own breeding operation in high school and early college. The terrible market prices in the late 90's, combined with college and starting a family led me to give it up.

Well, the kids are bigger, getting into 4-H and interested in the farm life and so I now have 7 hogs. 2 barrows and 5 gilts, and a bunch of willing, but novice help.

http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz194/Dreadhelm78/Farm/hogs_zpsbkwmjxbz.jpg

When we brought them home. 3 crossbreds and 4 purebred Berks.

You got yourself a passel o' pigs there!

The Berks look like they have show pig genetics. Are your kids gonna take them to the fair?

Well, they are sort of show pigs. I buy them from a hog farmer who has his own purebred Berkshire herd. He sells them for breeding, showing and eating. He doesn't breed specifically for 4-H hogs, but they do look quite nice. I was pretty impressed with their quality and they were a steal for the price. They will be going to fair this fall and shown by my kids and my niece and nephew.

After that they will become bacon, though I have put serious thought into breeding one. When all my kids get into 4-H, I will be buying 8 show barrows a year - at current costs, I might as well breed my own and sell the piglets we won't be using. I could come out ahead (or break even) that way.

I grew up around production hog farming. My grandpa was a farrow to finish hog farmer - we had about 60 sows up until 2001. I had 10 of my own. One thing I have found is that 4-H is totally different from when I was showing. Auctions, $2000 barrows and cutthroat parents.

Posted: 5/27/2015 9:09:43 PM EDT

[#45]

Brought home 6 feeders tonight about 25-35pounds. Got a good deal on them $65 ea. Will try to get pics up tomorrow.

Posted: 6/9/2015 9:17:59 PM EDT

[#46]

Picked up my pigs today. 17 American Spots and Gloucester Old Spots. The one with a red mark on his back is a boar to be raised up for next year.

Posted: 6/11/2015 1:25:50 AM EDT

[#47]

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Picked up my pigs today. 17 American Spots and Gloucester Old Spots. The one with a red mark on his back is a boar to be raised up for next year.

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/11401015_930271813695846_6184124167908213296_n.jpg?oh=c8993d4d2fd341634ee11dbfe967b93a&oe=55EE5FEF

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/11425500_930271803695847_2680495093280101677_n.jpg?oh=f04fcb65d2b47e045b0a08d63a67bd93&oe=55E946CC

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Good looking hogs! My kids love spots, I just couldn't find any locally this year. Seems to be Durocs and Hamps around here.

I have got to get back into breeding, it's the best way to make money on hogs these days, especially for the 4-H animals.

Posted: 6/29/2015 9:37:25 PM EDT

[#48]

We are doing 5 pigs this year, we picked them up in the van in a dog crate and drove the 1.5 hours home. we ended up with a runt, which sucks but I guess that will be the families pig. First rule, always get an extra one.
We started them in a 16x32ft training paddock, 2nd rule, its called hog fencing for a reason, I used one cattle panel I had left over and they got out of it in 5 minutes. Had to recapture them and put plywood up on that side.
Since they were a litle small to train up to the electric they hung out in the trainer for a week or so, after that I set up the quick pig fence from premier one to train them to it. They seemed to have the idea that it sucked to touch the fence after a day or so and we moved them into the first 1/4 acre paddock. We are using a on demand 2 grow feeder on a pallet with skids and a gravity fed bowl for water.

After a couple of weeks in the first paddock we moved them to the next 1/4 acre paddock, we plan to continue to leap frog them around and monitor how they are disturbing the soil and the feed they are using.
So far we have 5 really happy pigs that are growing well.

Question: does anyone feed additional mineral? I like giving all my animals free choice kelp but I cant figure out a way to feed it to them without having them spill it every where.
Now for some pics: