Developing a plan is the first step before setting out to purchase a pig to raise. Unexpected problems can often be avoided by having thought through all the steps that are required to raise a small piglet to one ready to butcher.
There is no sidestepping the obvious fact that small pigs grow up into large pigs if fed well. At that point you will need to decide, if you have avoided it all along, whether to let the animal live out its life in the area you house it, sell it to market to recover your costs, or use it to fill your freezer.
Let’s assume you decide to butcher the animal that you will raise or you wouldn’t be reading this book. How do you get there in the first place? This chapter will provide the basics of how to provide adequate housing and enclosures, select and purchase a pig, and raise and feed it, and it covers issues involving general swine husbandry. You are about to become a successful small-scale farmer. But first, some caveats.
FACILITIES AND HOUSING
Before we dive into the process of buying a pig, you will need to set up a place for it to live once you bring it home and for the time you raise it. Housing is required for most small-farming situations where livestock are involved. Whether to provide shelter from heat, wind, snow, ice, or cold, livestock need protection at times just as humans do. While animals are quite resilient on their own, you will need to provide space for them to minimize risk relating to temperature and weather variations.
You should have a living space selected before you bring a pig home. Most pigs adapt quickly to new surroundings if they have a comfortable bed, fresh water, and plenty of food.
The number of pigs you plan to raise at one time will influence the type and size of their housing needs. Having more than one pig will require more space if several are involved. For our discussion, let’s assume you are buying two small pigs to raise.
The reason for two rather than one pig is that pigs are very social animals and they do better if they have a companion. Yes, they will scrap and play and even ignore each other from time to time, just like little kids. And they will continue to do so even as they get older. This is natural behavior for them, and to deprive them of social interaction with another pig means you may have to become their substitute companion by spending time with them.
You may be able to substitute a second pig with a cow, sheep, or goat as a companion animal, but having another pig about the same size will allow them to socialize. Because many of our following housing and feeding calculations are made for a single pig, you will need to double them to account for the second one.
One pig weighing between 10 to 40 pounds will typically require about 4 square feet of space to be comfortable. As they approach 150 pounds in weight, the space increases to about 7 square feet each. Larger pigs weighing 200 pounds or more, or pregnant females (sows), require about 15 square feet. But this is close confinement. A larger space is better and you should plan for a minimum of 200 square feet or more for indoor comfort. Having a small pasture or lot where the pig can go out to exercise or roam about will offer more room. However, the internal housing space required will still be the same for each pig.
The facilities you use to raise and house your pig do not need to be elaborate or expensive structures. You may have sufficient space in an outbuilding that already exists on your property. Any building can be converted to living space or a portion of it divided into a suitable area.
One consideration would be to find a building that allows the pig access to an outdoor area. This is often with a door that can be closed in inclement weather or opened to allow spring and summer breezes to flow through.
There are three basic considerations for any structure being used for housing your pig: safety, convenience in cleaning out the bedding area, and comfort, which would include sufficient warmth or cooling in cold and hot weather, respectively. Depending on what is available on your property, you may need only a minimal alteration to adequately house your pig from a little animal to a large one.
Pigs are very smart animals and clean animals, contrary to most beliefs. Any designs for shelter or pens should take into account their behavior. A pig will typically assign a certain function to different areas of its living space. This is also true with multiple animals. If given a choice, they prefer a single sleeping area, which is generally the most comfortable area they can find; a separate area to deposit their manure (feces); and another area for eating and drinking.
If there is adequate room in the pen or other enclosure, most of the manure will be dropped in areas away from where they sleep. You can also encourage this behavior by placing the water and feeding area near the opposite end from your pig’s bedding area. Water spilled on the floor or dirt will be a cold place to lie, and unless the weather is hot, they will stay away from that area. You should also locate the feeding trough, tray, or pan a short distance away from the water supply and away from the sleeping area. Positioning a pen in such a manner will encourage your pig to quickly establish separate areas for eating and lying down, and this will help keep the area clean.
Raising pigs on pastures and open lots is the most humane method of growing pork. Freedom of movement is an essential ingredient for healthy pigs.
If there is a grassy area available near the building where you will keep your pig, you should strongly consider using it as a pasture area where your pig can get out of the building and roam around. Pigs love natural turf, and a grassy area will be a natural fit. One pig will utilize the available area. A large animal, one that is fully grown, will typically need about one-quarter acre, but less will suffice if you are limited in space. The important thing is to get the animal outside to encourage movement. This will have some effect on the muscle tone later when you butcher the animal, but mostly it is just good husbandry to allow an animal to roam outside. Pigs are curious and will investigate the same site hundreds of times during their life in the paddock.
The equipment you need to raise a pig does not have to be extensive. A small trough can be used for both feed and water.
Pigs do not sweat like humans. They tend to hold heat inside their bodies rather than it expiring through their skin. This is a useful physical quirk in winter but not so useful in hot summer conditions. Many people have an image of pigs being dirty because they lie in the mud. This is simply their reaction to hot weather. They are using the mud and moisture, which is often cooler than the ambient temperature, to cool their bodies. It may not be possible to dissuade your pig from rooting a space in the cool ground to lie in. It’s their nature and you shouldn’t be upset when it happens. Allow your pig to be itself and it will find its own best way to be comfortable.
You can construct an outdoor structure made of sturdy wood to house your pig. An A-frame design or a rectangular hut are easy to build and easily moved if you choose to place either in different areas of your paddocks. They can move from site to site with your pig. Sturdy plastic or fiberglass huts, which are often used for dairy calves, are relatively inexpensive, easy to move because they are fairly lightweight, and can be found in many sizes and shapes. They typically have a window or other opening at the opposite end from the entrance, which allows airflow through it in hot weather. Because they are very versatile, these huts can be used for other animals or pets too.
Besides, an outdoor hut of some variety is a good investment if shade trees are not available. Pigs can tolerate cold weather better than hot, humid conditions. If they have shelter to get out of a bitter wind in winter, they can usually tolerate cold temperatures. This is not the case with heat. They will need a shady place to retreat to in hot, sunny conditions. By having a hut of some sort, they can get out of the direct sunlight. Pigs can overheat quickly and may need attention, such as sprinkling their body with water, in extreme cases.
Wood huts offer a good shelter from the hot sun and bitter cold weather. When straw or other bedding material is added, your pig will have a comfortable retreat.
PIG BODIES
Like humans, pigs are monogastric, meaning they have a simple stomach, unlike cattle (ruminants that have more than one stomach compartment to aid digestion).
The body of a pig is more or less built around its digestive system. The stomach’s main purpose is to break down complex proteins to feed muscle growth and maintenance. Proteins that are broken down are converted into amino acids. The large intestine absorbs the most water and is where most of the processing of feed takes place. The small intestine absorbs amino acids, fats, starches, sugars, and some water. After the majority of the feed has been processed, the remainder is converted into a bacterial mass called feces (manure), which is then expelled.
The kidneys are generally not thought of as part of the digestive system, although they filter waste materials from the bloodstream and send these wastes to the bladder to be excreted as urine. Approximately 60 percent of the manure is feces while 40 percent is urine.
It is important to understand these functions because these internal parts of the digestive system will be discussed later in the butchering process.
FENCING AND ENCLOSURES
Having satisfied the pig’s housing needs, you should consider your fences and enclosures prior to bringing a pig on your property.
Fencing not only marks property lines, it also is an important part of humanely enclosing your animals, whether that’s one pig or other livestock. Perimeter fences in particular are an important barrier between your property and your neighbor’s.
If you own the property, you likely already know where your boundaries are. If you are considering purchasing a small-acreage farm, it is a good idea to investigate the property lines before signing any purchase agreement. Ask to walk and view the fence lines with the owner or real estate agent handling the sale to fully understand the boundaries. Missing fence rows may cause confusion as to the actual property line. Odd configurations may appear if fences have been trampled, moved, or torn out. Walking these lines can be instructive as you will notice many things about the condition of the fences, the property’s terrain, and other things you might not readily perceive while riding in a vehicle or viewing the property from aerial maps.
There are two basic types of fences: permanent and temporary. Permanent fences are usually found along the perimeter and often define boundaries between farms. In earlier farming days, many farms had multiple permanent fences built within the perimeter fences as the variety of livestock, such as work horses, dairy cattle, beef cattle, and, yes, pigs, needed sturdier structures.
Permanent fences are constructed for long-term use and life, and sturdy materials are used. Temporary fences are intended for short-term use. They are usually found as enclosures within the boundary fences. They do not need to be as sturdily constructed because their intent is to be easily moved.
Pigs can be hard on fences for several reasons. Their rooting instinct drives them to poke their noses around their environment as they search for food or out of curiosity. The mechanics of their rooting around a paddock is best likened to shovel digging. They will begin to push with the tip of their snout (nose) and dig small holes or trenches as they pursue whatever has attracted their interest, perhaps tasty roots, interesting scents, or bugs and insects. This activity is normal and can lead them along fence lines where they may be able to lift the bottom part of the fence from the ground and create a possible escape route. Walk the fence line of any enclosure where you plan to put your pig and check for weaknesses in the line. Be sure to correct those you find or you may spend an afternoon retrieving your pig from outside your enclosure. One thing you will learn if this happens is that a pig will not likely find its escape hole when you try to return it to your pasture unless it is as big as a garage door. They are unlikely to return to the pasture through the same small opening they escaped. It is worth your time to thoroughly check your fencing prior to having any problems.
Wire-panel fences are easy to construct for a paddock in which to raise your pig. They are easy to set up, and when done properly, they provide an escape-proof enclosure.
Normal pig behavior includes rooting around their paddock as they use their snout to dig up the soil. Good fences will keep them from using this practice to try to escape from their lot.
Young and small pigs typically are not a concern with fences until they grow to a larger size and begin to explore. A good reference for options of different enclosures and fences, and how to build them, can be found in How to Raise Pigs, available from Voyageur Press.
COSTS INVOLVED
Your startup costs may depend on several factors. We will focus solely on the cost of obtaining and raising your pig and exclude other things, such as buildings, equipment, and the farmland itself (if purchasing it).
Pigs for sale are categorized in several classes: feeder pigs, barrows and gilts, butcher hogs and sows (light and heavy), and boars.
Regardless of the breed you choose, your goal is to raise your piglet to a market weight in the shortest amount of time. Good growth is achieved with a sound diet appropriate to the pig’s weight brackets. Start with a young pig because they are less expensive.
Let’s assume you wish to purchase one single feeder pig to raise. A feeder pig is generally defined as a young pig that has been weaned from its mother and is now ready to be put on a full-feed diet. It no longer needs milk to grow and can transition to a dry, grain-based diet. Feeder pigs typically weigh between 25 and 40 pounds when sold at livestock markets or auctions. You may be able to purchase one pig or two from a local pig farmer who raises them in a traditional manner and at a lower weight. It is more difficult to purchase from large pig farms because of biosecurity concerns. Buying locally is your best choice if that option exists because that local farmer is trying his or her best to raise healthy, profitable pigs.
Feeder pigs at a livestock market or auction are generally sold in lots consisting of several dozens of pigs but auctioned off at an individual price, which is then multiplied by the number of pigs in that lot. It may not be possible to purchase a single pig out of such a lot unless you can discuss this with that lot’s purchaser.
At the time of this writing, individual feeder pig prices range from $30 to $50 for a 40- to 50-pound pig. This price also depends on current market conditions and breed and pig availability. Purchasing a pig at the heavier weight often ensures that it is healthy and eating well, which will lead to a better growth rate for you. An unhealthy or unthrifty pig may be less expensive but generally doesn’t grow as well as a healthy pig and will take longer and more feed to get it to reach a butchering weight. Buy a healthy pig even if it’s more expensive that day and you will be happier with the results.
A barrow is a male pig that has been castrated, usually while still a feeder pig or soon after birth. They can be raised like any other pig, and there is the advantage of not having to work with a sexually intact male. Gilts are young female pigs that are considered older than feeder pigs but are not yet sexually mature. They can be raised like barrows and with barrows without having to contend with sexual activity in your pasture. Butcher hogs are those ready for market and may weigh from 180 pounds to 240 pounds. If you want to dive right into the butchering aspect without waiting for the growing period to finish, you may want to consider buying a butcher hog that is ready, well, for butchering.
A simple crate is sufficient to transport a young pig to your farm, homestead, or small acreage. Be sure to check any local zoning ordinances relating to livestock production.
Sows are mature females that have had a litter (young pigs) and generally will weigh more than 240 pounds. At markets they may exceed that weight and be sold when reaching 300 pounds or more, and they are then considered heavy sows. Boars are male pigs that can weigh from 180 to 400 pounds. These, however, will not be your best option for buying a pig to butcher due to the elevated testosterone levels when compared to barrows (castrated boars).
FEED COSTS
Feed costs will be the largest expense during the growing period between purchasing and butchering your pig.
Typically a pig will need between 3 to 4 pounds of feed per pound of weight gain. This is also referred to as rate of gain. The less feed needed to raise the pig to market weight, the less cost there is, resulting in a higher profit. This is why pig growers want highly efficient growing pigs, those that use less feed to grow to the optimum weight. This may not be as major a concern to you with one pig, but you also want it to grow well on less feed. Whatever your pig’s efficiency rate, it will go through the three phases of production like any other feeder pig: nursery, growing, and finishing.
For example, let’s say you purchase a 40-pound feeder pig and raise it to 210 pounds, a typical butchering weight. The 170 pounds of weight gain will require about 600 to 650 pounds of feed to reach that weight goal. These numbers can be multiplied times the cost of a grain mix that could be made up of corn, wheat, oats, soybeans or other protein sources, and minerals and vitamins. An example of the costs is given in the chart on page 230. Other plant byproducts, such as corn gluten meal, can be used to supplement expensive grains. One rule of thumb is that the energy level requirement is similar to all diets from the nursery stage to slaughter. However, the protein level changes as the pig grows.
One advantage of raising pigs is that they become porcine garbage disposals. Your household food waste may be fed to pigs, as well as garden excess. You will always find a willing audience for eating these waste products if you have pigs, so don’t let them go to waste.
Regardless of the feeding program you develop, don’t forget the water. Pigs need access to fresh water like any other animal, and you will need to make sure it is available at all times, even in freezing and cold winter weather.
COMPOSTING MANURE
A single pig will not produce a lot of manure, but you should explore an environmentally sound practice for handling whatever amount you end up with. But first, a few thoughts about manure.
The normal digestive process of a pig’s gastrointestinal system produces feces like any other animal. Manure will quickly decompose under warm, moist soil conditions, and as it does, it releases chemical compounds such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients into the soil. Field plants will absorb nutrients from the soil, so manure can be part of an important natural cycle.
Your single pig will not have the same impact as fifty, a hundred, or a thousand pigs. But that shouldn’t mean you don’t develop a way to handle its manure. After all, once your pig is in your freezer, you likely will clean up the area where it lived and maybe get it ready for the next animal.
So, how much manure does one pig produce in a day? Again, there is a range as the animal grows and increases its daily diet intake. The total amount of manure excreted by a pig is largely determined by the amount of feed it receives minus what the pig uses for muscle and bone growth and normal physical processes. This total increases as a pig grows from nursery to slaughtering weight. For example, from 50 to 120 pounds, one pig on a typical diet will produce about 6 pounds of manure each day. From 125 to 175 pounds, as its dietary intake increases even more, it will produce 8 pounds per day. And from 175 to 250 pounds, it will produce about 9 1/2 pounds per day.
Let’s say that your pig gains 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of weight per day. This will require about 114 days (at a growth rate of 1 3/4 pounds per day, which is within a normal range) to achieve the 200 pounds of growth.
Then, 114 days times the average daily manure production of 8 pounds equals 920 pounds over the pig’s lifetime, or time with you.
Part of this weight will be lost through evaporation of the water in manure. Plus, some is likely to be spread on your paddock, pasture, or fields while your pig is moving about, and which you will not collect.
So, what do you do with the manure you do have? Why not compost it? Composting is a process in which microorganisms convert organic materials, such as manure, bedding, leaves, and other plant materials, into soil-like matter. Simply piling manure and letting it sit is not really composting, however.
Young pigs can be raised in a very small area at first. They will soon outgrow their small enclosure quickly, and you will need to plan for a larger area for them.
Composting is an active process in which microbes and oxygen are the main catalysts for the transformation. The manure and bedding and any other organic matter is allowed to decay in a pile or windrow. As it decays, it creates heat that breaks down the organic compounds and neutralizes them.
The high nitrogen level in manure can burn plants when applied directly to your field or garden. In other words, composting will decay and convert organic matter from a volatile compound to a stable, neutralized fertilizer.
The full composting process won’t happen overnight. To reach a neutralized state may take anywhere from 3 weeks to 8 months, depending on adequate oxygen and aeration of the pile, the temperature, the moisture content of the pile, the correct mix of materials, and how closely it’s managed.
Oxygen and aeration is needed for a good compost result. This involves either stirring or turning the pile mechanically or by hand-forking it so that air is introduced throughout the material. Perforated pipes can be used to blow air into the pile, but this often works best after the pile has been turned at least once.
Manure that is going through a composting cycle can create a lot of heat, and you want your pile to reach core temperatures of about 160ºF. Compost thermometers are available to help monitor the internal temperature. This heat helps to break down volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and will help destroy weed seeds contained in the bedding or plants.
Moisture in a compost pile may be difficult to calculate, but it is needed to get a good result. A 40 to 60 percent moisture content is needed, about the same amount as a sponge that has been wrung out. If the moisture is too low, the material will likely mold rather than heat. If the moisture is too high, the compost pile won’t allow enough heat to generate and will simply be a semisolid soggy mess. Interestingly, if you keep turning a too-high moisture content pile, enough of the moisture will eventually evaporate and reach the right proportion of mix where it will activate the compost’s heating process. How closely you manage your pile will have an effect on your success with it.
Lastly, a successful compost pile will consist of the right mix of materials, or the carbon (C) to nitrogen (N) ratio. An ideal ratio of C:N would fall in the range of 25:1 to 30:1, but you can achieve good results with a range of 20:1 to 40:1.
This ratio will be influenced by the amount of wood bedding materials, such as sawdust or shavings, in the mix. Too much will result in a high C:N ratio. Some nitrogen sources, such as grass clippings, additional raw manure, or even nitrogen fertilizer, added to the mix may be needed to balance this ratio. Using chopped straw for your bedding materials can help to keep this ratio lower.
Composting serves several other purposes besides transforming manure into a stable nutrient form for your garden:
• It reduces the volume you need to dispose of or spread on your field, paddocks, or garden.
• It will add organic matter to wherever you use it.
• It will reduce the presence of flies by eliminating their breeding ground.
• It will reduce any parasite reinfestation since the heat will kill parasite eggs.
• It neutralizes ammonia gases and certain pathogens such as E. coli.
• It kills weed seeds, as they cannot survive the heating process.
Many compost designs are available and you should look for one that suits your situation. These may include stacking the manure in confined piles, storing in compost bins, and air-piping. A variety of composting methods are explained in The Family Cow Handbook: A Guide to Keeping a Milk Cow or The Complete Illustrated Guide to Farming, both available from Voyageur Press. Turn your pig’s manure into a resource rather than looking at it as a liability.
FEEDING YOUR PIG
A healthy pig will grow fast. The small pig you start with will quickly become a large animal to be butchered about 4 months later.
A grain-based diet is typical for fast-growing pigs. Along with household scraps, pigs can consume a variety of feedstuffs in their rations.
While pigs can grow on a variety of feedstuffs, including pastures, their main source of protein and starches for growth are grains such as corn and soybeans. These high carbohydrate and protein plants will help develop good growth rates that will enable you to have them reach a butchering weight in the shortest time. Plus, a high-quality diet will make the meat taste better later on when you cook it.
The protein levels required for growth provided by the feed ration don’t vary greatly from a 50-pound feeder pig to a 250-pound finished hog. It is roughly 13 to 16 percent. The quantity of feed varies more than the protein percentage.
Cereal grains, such as wheat, barley, milo, and oats, can help meet the protein requirements but are often too low in protein to be used alone. They may be mixed with other protein sources from oilseed meals, such as soybean meal or canola meal. Animal byproducts, such as fish meal, bone meal, dried skim milk, and whey products, may also be used as high-quality protein sources. But these are generally more expensive and may have limited availability.
Generally speaking, the law of diminishing returns kicks in as the pig grows larger. This means it takes more feed (added costs) to increase the total weight of the pig because more nutrients are needed to maintain a larger body form than for a smaller body. This also means the optimum cost ratio of pounds of feed for a pound of gain will likely fall in the 200- to 240-pound range. Anything over this will cost more to increase the pig’s weight. Certainly a home-raised pig can be butchered at 180 to 190 pounds and still supply a lot of meat for your family. You may want to calculate several different weight-to-cost ratios to find one best to your liking.
OTHER NUTRIENT SOURCES
It is not protein specifically that pigs need, but rather amino acids for the formation of muscles and other body functions. Twenty amino acids are needed for proper pig growth with ten required as dietary essentials. Other grain and plant byproducts that can be substituted into the diet include corn gluten meal, hominy feed, brewer’s products, distiller’s grain, wheat bran, and alfalfa meal.
Small quantities of minerals and vitamins are required for many metabolic processes in pigs. These are important because they aid in the development of strong bones and teeth and are required for proper muscle contraction, hormone function, and blood clotting. The growth and health of your pig can be severely affected by failing to provide sufficient amounts of minerals and vitamins.
More than fifteen minerals have been identified as essential for pig growth. Calcium, phosphorus, and iodized salt combine for the largest requirements. Other important minerals, such as iron, copper, zinc, and manganese, can be supplied in a trace-mineralized salt combination. Premixes with vitamins and minerals can be purchased as supplements, but they can be very expensive. Fortunately, the most needed minerals and vitamins are readily available, can be easily mixed into their feed, and are relatively inexpensive.
HOW MUCH DOES A PIG EAT?
As stated earlier, your pig will require more feed as it grows older. This increase allows for muscle and bone development as the body increases in size, and it requires more energy and protein for physical maintenance. For example, small pigs convert feed into body weight very efficiently. As a pig grows, it takes more feed per pound of weight gain. Overall, however, an approximate average of 3 pounds of feed will be required per pound of gain throughout a pig’s life. The average amount of feed required daily can be examined in the accompanying chart.
The feed requirements generally conform into three divisions, which typically correspond with different weight ranges: young pig (10 to 50 pounds), growing pig (50 to 125 pounds), and finishing pig (125 to 250 pounds).
From the accompanying chart, we can assume your pig will require approximately 625 pounds of feed from 10 pounds to 250 pounds, not including any pasture, which can supplement grains and lower the total grain intake and cost. These are only approximate figures and yours may vary greatly depending on a number of factors, including grain prices in your area and your use of lower-cost feed supplements, or substitutes such as your family’s food refuse. But it will give you a general idea of how to calculate your costs and how much it will cost to feed your pig from beginning to end. If you raise two pigs, then your costs will likely double. But, again, you can sell one to a livestock market and use that income to cover its feed cost.
From these feed cost calculations, we can also make some approximate projections as to your startup costs and investment, and use that to determine what your cost per pound of processed meat will be. In other words, what will it cost you to produce the meat you will be butchering and how does that cost compare to what you can buy in a local meat market without all the effort of raising a piglet to pork on your table?
The chart shown here lists some of the initial costs involved when starting out new. These are approximate costs and don’t include processing fees if you choose to have your pig butchered by a local meat market, fuel costs for transport, and other incidental costs such as electricity, investment of your land, and so on. But, again, we can show some costs that will give you a clearer idea of how to determine those associated with your pig.
Using the sample startup costs and feed costs, we can apply them to get an overall cost to raise your pig. Then we can estimate the amount of meat you will harvest from your pig and calculate the cost per pound to get it to your freezer or table. Again, these are approximate costs involved and yours may differ in the end. One thing to remember with the startup costs is that generally their greatest expense is at the start. Once you have the fences built, the shelter set, the freezer in place for the meat, and some of the miscellaneous costs paid for in the first year, the cost of producing the next pig drops dramatically because you have mainly the feed and purchase costs to consider. The chart shown here will give you some idea of this dynamic.
FORAGES AND PASTURES
The use of pastures and forages to form part of your pig’s diet has received much attention in recent years. Although this was a traditional way used to raise pigs, it was replaced by many confinement systems that improved the rates of gain but took pigs from outside and put them indoors.
As pork producers today are developing niche markets for their pork products, their pigs are once again allowed to roam in pastures and consume forages as part of their diet. Even though a pig’s monogastric digestive system does not lend itself to using great quantities of forages, pastures can provide your pig with quality protein and certain vitamins, and can help reduce the total feed requirement from supplements and grains. This can help lower the total feeding cost of raising your pig to a finished weight. Pork producers who use pastures to supplement their pig’s diets also extol the outdoor aspect of this production system and that it is more natural for a pig than being totally raised indoors.
Generally these savings can amount to 3 to 10 percent of the grain and about as much as half of the protein needed for growing and finishing pigs. That is a significant savings. Other factors such as the type of pasture, the age of the pigs, and your overall management system will also have an effect. The biggest savings include lower feed costs from less purchased grains. Also, manure production will be distributed around the pasture or field rather than being deposited in or near the stable.
Regardless of whether you use pastures extensively or minimally in your feeding program, your pig will benefit from the exercise that will help develop muscle mass and muscle tone, being out in the sunlight that will help produce a better-quality fat for rendering because of adequate vitamin D levels, and will be more comfortable moving around than being sedentary in a confined space. This will also be a more humane way of raising your pig and should provide many satisfactory hours for you and your family of watching it out in a natural setting.
Ration formulation is possible with many computer programs available today. Also, most animal feed companies or supply outlets can help you develop a ration that fits your situation and budget. County agricultural extension agents have access to ration formulation programs that may be helpful to you, and they can offer advice of where to seek additional help.
HEALTHY PIG MEANS HEALTHY MEAT
You will use your husbandry skills to provide your pig with a safe, comfortable, and fulfilling existence. As a pig owner, you have the ethical responsibility to provide your animal with conditions in which it can grow from quality feeds, reside without fear, and be treated in a gentle and humane manner. In many ways, the more you work with your pig, the more the pig may become an extension of your family. This may seem unusual, but it is in your best interests, financially and philosophically, to have a pig that is content and easy to work with.
HEALTH CONCERNS
Any pork producer knows that pigs can get sick even with the best of care. The key is to minimize the severity of any illness to the greatest extent possible. This starts with observing your pig every day. You will learn quickly to observe its normal movements and routine, and distinguish them from anything that appears abnormal.
Your observations can be made in the morning or evening during feeding times, or during the day. Quickly identifying listlessness or behavior that doesn’t seem normal, such as not eating, can limit any potential damage. A pig that exhibits symptoms of illness will generally need some intervention from you or a licensed veterinarian, who can dispense certain antibiotics if needed.
You will become your pig’s diagnostician and perhaps its pharmacist or doctor. Depending on your program, philosophies, and goals, three treatment systems can be used with your pig: conventional, homeopathic, and herbal. Each has advantages and disadvantages, and you should study them thoroughly to decide which may align best with you and your situation. How to Raise Pigs is a book that can explain much of this for you.
If you use conventional treatments involving antibiotics—and in some cases this may be the best choice to save your pig’s life—be aware that there are specific withdrawal times after an injection or oral antibiotics have been administered. There will be a period of time during which it is illegal to sell an animal over the market or to be used for human consumption. This time will eventually end as the animal’s system filters out any antibiotic residue and the meat will be safe for you to eat. These precautions and times are clearly stated or labeled on bottles or packages containing antibiotics.
Also, if you administer medications by injection, you need to be careful where you insert the needle. If intermuscular injections need to be given—those where the needle is inserted into a muscle—it should be done in the neck muscles. Avoid placing injections into the hams, loin areas, and shoulders because any residual puncture marks in the muscle will remain when the carcass is cut up.
PIG BEHAVIOR
What can you expect from your live pig, especially if you’ve never raised one? First, pigs respond to the treatment they receive. Pigs that are comfortable around people have had positive interaction with humans. Negative experiences resulting from mistreatment, handling, or neglect generally result in a large flight zone. This is the sensory bubble surrounding an animal where you can only get so close to the pig before it moves away. Positive experiences between pig and human will shrink this zone and allow you to touch, rub, scratch, brush, or easily handle them. Negative experiences will widen this zone so that you cannot get very close to them.
Pigs are gregarious by nature and can be quite social. This is one reason you should consider raising two pigs at the same time rather than one. If you only raise one pig, it is wise to place it where it may see, hear, or even interact with other farm animals. Again, you can consider selling the other animal to market after you’ve chosen which one you will butcher. Pigs have a history of being mortgage lifters, and this income may offset the cost of raising both of them. Pigs can be curious, gentle, and display an almost humanlike affection if handled in a proper and humane manner.
Pigs are very social animals and respond to the treatment they receive. They can become very comfortable around humans and will interact with people if unafraid of them.
PIG BREEDS
Is there a best kind of pig or breed to raise? Does one breed have better-tasting meat than another? Many who raise pigs to butcher have asked these questions. The emergence of interest in artisan foods has also encouraged producers to supply these markets with animals from less common breeds because of their unique meat qualities.
The economic dynamics of the pork industry between the 1960s and 1980s saw the commercialization of certain swine breeds that adapted easily to mass production systems to the point where only eight major breeds remain today: Landrace, Berkshire, Chester White, Duroc, Hampshire, Poland China, Spotted Poland China, and Yorkshire.
However, minor swine breeds that teetered toward extinction have now been brought back as heritage or heirloom breeds. These include the Hereford, Large Black, Mulefoot, Red Wattle, and Tamworth.
The Berkshire breed has a good growth rate and yields an exceptional flavor in its meat.
As these heritage breeds have become recognized again for their unique meat qualities because of their genetics, they are finding favor with chefs, homesteaders, and others who appreciate their distinctive separation from the mainstream breeds.
Landrace—a white hog noted for its long body and having sixteen or seventeen pairs of ribs, which translates into more cuts of meat per animal.
Berkshire—a black hog with white lower legs. It is noted for good growth rates and the exceptional flavor of its meat, which is darker, has a higher pH, and contains more intramuscular fat or marbling.
Chester White—are popular among pork producers because they are good mothers that produce large litters and are typically sound, durable animals.
Duroc—have a hair color that can range from a light golden, bordering on yellow, to a dark red, similar to mahogany. It has drooping ears and is appreciated for its feed efficiency.
Hampshire—one of the most recognizable breeds with its black markings and distinctive white belt over the shoulders and down the front legs. They produce a lean carcass with good muscle quality.
Poland China—is noted as a big-framed, long-bodied, lean and muscular breed. They lead the United States in pork production and are known for their black color, with six white points: the feet, tail, and tip of the nose.
Spotted Poland China—have floppy ears and black spots of varying sizes across both sides of the body. They have excellent meat qualities and are known for their good feed efficiency. The females are known to be docile and easy to handle.
Yorkshire—grow fast and have good feed conversion rates. Also have long bodies and produce an excellent carcass.
Hereford—a heritage breed with a pattern of intense red and white trim around the edges of its body. They are quiet and docile and very adaptable to a variety of climates. They perform well on pastures and produce an excellent carcass.
Large Black—a distinctive heritage breed that produces a lean pork and bacon that is tender and fine textured. Though fewer in number than other breeds, Large Black pigs have a loyal following by those who raise them.
Mulefoot—is distinctive because of its solid, noncloven hoof. Their dark, moist meat is excellent for hams, lard, and home curing. They also fatten well on many kinds of forage.
Red Wattle—a large, red hog with a distinctive flesh wattle attached to each side of its head. They are hardy, grow rapidly, and have great foraging abilities. They can adapt to a wide range of climates.
Tamworth—have a red, almost ginger color to their hair coat. They are adaptable to many different climates and are tolerant of extreme changes in temperature. Their meat is lean and they work well in pasture-grazing systems.
The genetics of a specific breed will influence many of the meat and muscle qualities, but a pig is still reliant on the feed it receives to impart a distinct flavor. Just think of the acorn-fed pigs of Italy or the truffle-influenced meat flavor of France, and you will get a sense of this exceptional difference. The point is that you can try to influence the flavor of your pig’s meat by what you feed it, but it still mostly comes down to its genetic inheritance. However, if you have acorns available, use it in the feed ration. While you likely don’t have truffles, you may be growing something else that could lightly hint at a different flavor.
How to Raise Pigs provides an in-depth look at each of the breeds mentioned here. Securing a heritage breed pig to raise may be more expensive initially and perhaps more difficult to locate for purchase, but your rewards will come from a flavor you’ve never before experienced.
You now have learned what you need to do to get started. Now go out and find your pig!
The Large Black is one of several heritage breeds you can raise. Although their population is small in total numbers, their popularity is increasing because they produce a lean pork and tasty bacon.