Chapter 5: Pigs

Pig Glossary

Barrow: A young male pig

Boar: An adult male pig

Butcher hog: A hog weighing between 220 and 260 pounds raised for slaughter

Creep: The area in a farrowing site that is off-limits to the sow, where the piglets can get feed

Crossbred: A pig that is a cross of different purebred pig breeds

Dam: Mother

Farrow: For a pig to give birth

Farrow to finish: Raising pigs from birth to being market or slaughter-ready

Feed efficiency: The amount of feed it takes for a pig to gain 1 pound

Feeder pig: A young pig, usually just weaned, that is produced by a breeder but raised by someone else; usually between 35 and 70 pounds

Finished hog: A fattened hog that is ready for market or slaughter Gilt: A young female pig

Grower pig: A young pig being raised for market or for slaughter; usually a pig over 50 pounds

Grower to finish: Raising pigs from the weaner stage (about 8 weeks) to market or slaughter size

Hog: A pig weighing more than 120 pounds

Market hog: A pig that weighs 220 to 260 pounds and could be sold at market

Purebred: A pig that belongs to a recognized pure breed

Shoat: A pig from weaning age to 120 pounds

Sire: Father

Sow: An adult female pig

Swine: Generic term for pigs

Topline: The spine or back or the pig, especially in silhouette

Underline: The line formed along the stomach of the pig

History of Pigs and People

In the 19th century, a young girl led her father, the amateur archaeologist Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola, to a cave near the Spanish town of Santillana del Mar. There, on the cavern walls and ceilings, was an astonishing series of paintings depicting the animals known to Cro-Magnon humanity, including wild boars. Uranium-thorium dating of the pigments in these cave drawings lead some scientists to estimate that the images were 25,000 to 30,000 years old. Indeed, few animals have had longer and more extensive relationship with humans than pigs, which were among the first animals to be domesticated. The earliest domesticated pigs, which descended from Eurasian wild boars, probably occurred in Central Asia about 10,000 years ago. By 5000 B.C., the practice of keeping pigs was widespread, and Emperor Fo Hi wrote the first book on raising pigs in 3468 B.C., the same year he is thought to have also penned the traditional book of prophecy, the I-Ching. Zhou period tombs from ancient China (1121–221 B.C.) often included pigs carved from precious stones, thought to ensure the deceased prosperity in the afterlife.

In Europe, it is estimated that pigs were first domesticated around 5000 B.C., and the animal played an important role in much of the history and mythology of the continent. In the Aeneid, Virgil claimed that in the 6th century B.C. Aeneas saw a vision of a “sacred white sow,” the female pig indicating the place on the Tiber River that should be the site of Rome. Pork was the favorite meat of the Romans, who considered cows to be beasts of burden and did not often eat veal or beef. In Petronius’ Trimalchio’s Banquet, roast boar with dates was the centerpiece of the feast, and such dishes were a central part of the wealthy Roman diet. If, as Napoleon said, “an army marches on its stomach,” the Roman Empire would be built upon a foundation of bacon, as its legions were rationed with pork, grain, and wine; additionally, the boar was sacred to Mars, the Roman god of war.

Among the Celts, the boar was seen as a symbol of fertility, power, and prosperity, and the animal was sacred to the goddess of the hunt, Arduinna. The bones and joints of pigs have been discovered buried in Celtic tombs, suggesting the importance of these animals in their culture. The Druids referred to themselves as boars and emulated the animals’ solitary forest existence. Throughout the Middle Ages, the importance of pigs to the developing agrarian economy grew steadily, and the boar appears in many examples of heraldry.

In 1493, Christopher Columbus arrived on the island that would come to be known as Puerto Rico with eight pigs that Queen Isabella had ordered him to bring. Almost 50 years later, Hernando de Soto landed in Florida with a small herd of pigs that would grow to many hundreds in just a few years. De Soto and other Spanish explorers offered some of these animals to the indigenous peoples as a token of goodwill, and numbers of them escaped into the wild and became the ancestors of the razorbacks and feral pigs of the southern United States.

Sir Walter Raleigh brought a number of sows to the Jamestown colony in 1607, and although the settlers endured a great deal of hardship, they were to be the first permanent English establishment in the New World. Over the course of the next century, pigs were to become a staple throughout the colonies because of their natural adaptability and utility.

As pioneers moved west, they brought pigs with them in their wagon trains, and soon large herds were to be found across the settled regions. In the War of 1812, salt pork was shipped to American troops in barrels stamped “U.S.” Although the “U.S.” stood for the meat packer “Uncle” Samuel Wilson, soldiers coined the term “Uncle Sam,” one of America’s most widely recognized patriotic symbols. Throughout the history of the United States, the importance of hogs to the nation’s economy has continued to grow, along with the relationship between pigs and politics. In the 19th century, the term “pork barrel politics” was coined to describe actions undertaken by politicians to solely benefit their constituencies. The “pork barrel” was a container that held lard or salt pork, and keeping it well supplied was a matter of constant concern for the average American.

In 1961, pigs broke into the financial markets when the Chicago Mercantile Exchange began trading pork belly futures contracts as an innovative risk management device for meat packers; because frozen pork bellies can be kept in cold storage for extended periods, they can be held in inventory and sold when market prices meet the sellers’ needs. Pigs are no less important elsewhere in the world; today, every continent has a pig population, except Antarctica.

Breeds

Breed selection is an important part of the decision-making process for new pig owners, whether you intend to keep them as pets, for breeding, or to raise them for the table or market. Your geographic location is important when determining which breed to raise because different breeds do better in different climates. Darker pigs are common in sunnier southern regions because their pigmentation helps protect them from sunburn. If you live in a colder state, you may wish to choose a breed with a shaggier coat that can help them stay warm in winter months.

A key factor in making this decision is which breeds are available in your area, but it is also important to consider what you plan to do with your pigs. If you are planning to establish a breeding program, you want to buy the best stock you can find. Purebred pigs are pedigreed, carefully regulated, and expensive. If you are just planning to fatten a pig or two for the table, crossbred pigs will do nicely, so long as they are produced by a knowledgeable, responsible breeder with a purposeful breeding plan.

Pet breeds

There are a number of breeds more suited to pet ownership than the larger meat breeds. Many of these pigs are still raised as food breeds, but their smaller size makes them better as pets. Because of their great similarity to humans, both in physical attributes and in their social behavior, they can fit right into a human household under the right circumstances. It is important to consider, though, whether your household will fit right in with them. Are there members of your family who would be incompatible with pigs? Do you have other pets that might behave aggressively toward them?

Because pigs are such social animals, they can form strong bonds with people and other animals. You should realize that this also means they often require companionship, so you will need to consider whether you are able to provide them the type of home they need. Do you have the space needed? Can you devote the appropriate amount of time to your pet pig?

Miniature pigs can be either midgets, which means they are much smaller, but proportionally identical to their larger counterparts, or dwarfs, which means they are smaller and proportionally different, such as potbellies.

African Pygmy/Guinea Hog

The African pygmy, or Guinea hog, is a small black pig descended from larger red hogs thought to have been imported to the Americas from Africa aboard slave ships. One reason African pygmies make good pets is that they have long life spans, sometimes reaching 25 years. An African pygmy is only 40 to 60 pounds, making this a manageable breed. They have kinked tails, straight backs, and medium, pricked ears. Their shiny black coats are hairy rather than bristly, which makes for better cuddling. Not a potbellied breed, African pygmies are grazers and prefer lush, green grasses. This friendly, adaptable breed can be a cute, cuddly companion for many years.

Juliani/Painted Miniature

Painted miniature pigs were imported to the United States from Europe. They range from 15 to 60 pounds and have a small potbelly, a slightly swayed back, and proportionally longer legs than true potbellies. They can be black, red, white, silver, or a mixture of these colors. They are among the friendliest, most playful miniature pigs and are considered extremely gentle. Also, they are so small that they integrate more easily into an average home — some are even kept in urban apartments.

Kunekune

This fine pig is a more recent addition to the family of pet pigs in the United States. Imported from New Zealand, their name comes from the Maori word “kune,” which means fat and round. Their most distinctive feature is probably their wattles — tassels hanging from their lower jaw — known as pire pire in the Maori language. Their ears may be erect or semi-lopped, and they come in a wide range of colors: black and white, red, white, brown, and gold. A mid-sized pet pig, they range from 90 to 120 pounds, have attractive pug noses, and may have spotted or calico coats.

Kunekunes are efficient grazers, so during the summer months, they may sustain themselves just by keeping your lawn well trimmed. In addition, they do not usually root, so they will not spoil the appearance of your grass.

Vietnamese Potbellied

Developed from the “I” breed of Vietnam in the 1950s, potbellied pigs are among the most common pet breeds in the United States. Keith Connell, who saw their potential as zoo animals, first brought them into the United States through Canada in 1985. As the name implies, the potbellied pig has an exaggerated potbelly with a swayed back, erect ears, extremely short legs, and a straight tail. Potbellies have wrinkled faces and a short snout, which gives them a somewhat comical expression. When purchasing a potbellied pig, try to be sure the short snout is not too exaggerated because this can cause respiratory problems. Potbellies are usually black, white, or a piebald pattern of black and white.

They often are found in zoos because they have an appearance many people find appealing, and they are friendly and even-tempered. In fact, because of their docile disposition, they are a mainstay of the petting zoo; not only do children love them, but they also seem to love children. This friendly manner and sociable behavior has made them the most popular miniature breed in the world.

Potbellied pigs may be small, as little as 25 pounds, though most are between 100 and 250 pounds. If you are thinking about buying a potbelly, this is an important consideration because though the young pig is a tiny animal, it may grow to the size of a large adult human. If you are looking for a petite pig, it is a good idea to look over the breeder’s adult animals. Too many have bought a tiny pig only to realize that the adult pig is more than they can handle. This is a growing problem in the United States, and as a result, it is increasingly common to find pigs in animal shelters.

Yucatan/Mexican Hairless

Originating in Central and Latin America, the Yucatan is a gentle breed of pig ranging from slate gray to black in color. Yucatans have straight backs, short snouts, and medium-sized ears that are usually erect. Their skin and body systems are probably the most similar to humans, which has made them the most common pig used in laboratory testing. Yucatans can reach 200 pounds, though some considerably smaller strains are bred.

Breeds for food production

Although all pig breeds are edible, most pig owners prefer to draw a relatively firm line between pet breeds and food breeds. Not only is this important from an emotional standpoint, but food breeds also tend to be larger and have other characteristics that are more desirable for farmers, including their breeding qualities, docility, efficiency of weight gain, and, of course, meat quality. The food breeds raised for meat are divided into three categories: meat types, bacon types, and lard types. Meat hogs tend to have large frames with leaner bodies that provide a fine grade of muscle. Bacon hogs, on the other hand, tend to have long bodies that provide larger sides of bacon with plenty of lean meat. The third type of hog, the lard hog, has more or less disappeared in recent years, as the demand for leaner pork has grown and the use of lard in cooking has decreased.

Eight breeds of pig provide most of the pork produced in North America, with commercial breeders primarily concentrating on complicated crosses of three breeds: the Duroc, Hampshire, and the Yorkshire. Crosses of these breeds in succeeding generations, along with crosses to the Landrace, the large English white, and a few other breeds, are used to produce large litters, the most efficient feed-to-gain ratios, and other measures that are important for commercial pork producers.

On the other hand, small farmers are usually better off focusing on raising purebred pigs or simpler crosses. Instead of using complicated breeding schemes to achieve super pigs, or pigs that have been created from multiple hybrid crosses such as those used by commercial pork producers, it is better to focus on one breed that produces large litters and has few losses before weaning. Look for breeds with good mothering traits that produce plenty of milk for their young. Consider hardier breeds that will thrive in a modified confinement setup instead of living in a confinement system. You may wish to consider some of the breeds that have slower weight gain, especially if you have a local restaurant market with owners interested in trying more flavorful pork.

Berkshire

Berkshires were presumably “discovered” by Oliver Cromwell’s troops when they were stationed at Reading, England, during the English Civil War in the 17th century. Berkshires have such flavorful meat that they fast became the most popular breed among England’s upper classes; indeed, they kept a herd at Windsor Castle within sight of the royal residence. Maintained as a distinct breed, they are widely considered “England’s oldest pig.”

When imported Berkshires reached the United States in 1823, they had a sandy or reddish coloring. However, they were quickly crossbred with other breeds, which led to the color pattern we see today: black with white feet, snout, and tail, identical to the Poland China pig. The Berkshire is a smaller hog, though, with boars averaging 500 to 750 pounds and sows 450 to 650 pounds. In 1875, a group of Illinois breeders and importers formed the American Berkshire Association to ensure the continuation and preservation of the breed and its conformation standards, including short, erect ears and a medium-dished face with deep sides.

Berkshires offer a good growth rate and fair reproductive efficiency, though their litter sizes tend to be relatively small. However, the quality of the Berkshire’s meat has made it a favorite of gourmet cuisine, with its exceptional marbling and flavor. The meat is prized in Japan, where they are bred in the Kagoshima Prefecture.

Chester White

The Chester White is an American hog breed that originated in Pennsylvania in the early 19th century, based on a cross of the English Chester, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire breeds. Although only a medium-sized hog, the Chester White is popular with breeders and packers because of its high quality of muscle tissue and because its lighter color has an appealing appearance to consumers. In addition, the Chester White has a high degree of cutability, meaning that a larger percentage of its mass translates into marketable cuts of meat.

The biggest advantage of the Chester White lies in its exceptional breeding abilities. A Chester sow breeds back quickly; that is to say, once she has farrowed, she may breed again more quickly than is common in other breeds. Chester White sows are known to farrow as many as three litters a year, and these litters often contain ten or more pigs that reach market size. In addition, the sow carries these strengths when bred with other types of pigs, which makes them a popular choice in crossbreeding programs.

The Chester White has a medium frame, a slightly dished face, medium-sized lop ears, and a thick white coat. In addition, the Chester White is an extremely sound animal that is able to maintain its health in different conditions, so smaller farmers with simpler facilities and outdoor pastures often find them a good choice.

Duroc

Durocs are a red hog that ranges from a tawny golden color to a deep mahogany. Durocs have large lop ears that hang over their eyes, a curly tail, and a slightly dished face. The average boar weighs about 900 pounds, and the average sow reaches 750 pounds. They are considered a good meat breed because of the high quality of their muscle tissue, large bodies, and relatively low fat content.

Considered a Northeastern breed, there is some dispute as to these hogs’ origin. Some claim they descended from the pigs brought to the New World by de Soto and Columbus, while others believe their ancestors were the African Guineas that may have come along with the slave ships. As a distinct breed, they originated in the early 19th century with a farmer named Isaac Frink of Saratoga County, New York. As the story goes, Frink was visiting his neighbor Harry Kelsey’s farm when he took a liking to some reddish hogs. He purchased a few of them to start his own herd, and because the breed was unnamed, he decided to call them Durocs after Kelsey’s famous Thoroughbred stallion. Later, they were crossed with Jersey reds, producing a hog that has developed into one of today’s most popular breeds.

The Duroc is among the most common breeds found in the United States. The boars tend to be aggressive, and they often are used in crossbreeding programs, especially with Hampshires or Yorkshires. The sows can produce large litters, and the young pigs gain weight faster than almost any other breed. This, along with their extreme hardiness, accounts for their popularity.

Hampshire

Like all breeds with names ending “-shire,” Hampshires are an English breed, though the breed that is well known today was developed in Kentucky. With erect ears, they are mostly black, except for a white band across their shoulders and forelegs; because of this distinctive marking, they are also known as saddlebacks.

Hampshires are somewhat smaller than other meat hogs, with sows reaching about 650 pounds and boars reaching 800 pounds. They are low in lard, with high-quality meat and a large loin eye area. The loin eye area of a pig is the large muscle in the pig’s back that provides the meat for pork chops. A large loin eye is highly desirable. In addition to their high meat quality, Hampshire sows are exceptional mothers who remain fertile longer than most. Their breeding potential and high-quality meat make them a popular pig. According to the American Swine Registry, Hampshires are the No. 4 recorded breed in the United States.

Hereford

The Hereford is the most American of hogs because they are not bred in any measurable quantity anywhere else. Their fans consider them the best-looking pigs, and they certainly are distinctive, with their flashy red and white coloration, like Hereford cattle. The Hereford has a slightly dished face, medium-sized lop ears, and a deep red back with white trim around its legs, head, and tail. John Schulte of Norway, Iowa, originated the breed in 1920 based on a cross between the Chester White, Duroc, and Poland China breeds.

With boars averaging 800 pounds and sows averaging 600 pounds, Herefords do not grow to be as large as other meat hogs, but they are quite popular for other characteristics. Herefords develop rapidly and reach maturity at 200 to 250 pounds in just five or six months, and they are able to do so on less feed. Herefords are adaptable to a variety of different climates, and because of their quiet demeanors, they are a popular choice for youngsters engaging in 4-H club and FFA projects. The sows make excellent mothers, producing and weaning large litters. This, combined with their efficient feed use and rapid maturation rates, also means Herefords can be profitable.

Poland China

Strangely, Poland China hogs are neither Polish nor Chinese. They originate in the Butler County/Miami Valley region of Southeastern Ohio. The Poland China is a large, black hog with white “points” — face, feet, and tail — and lop ears. They tend to be long-bodied, lean, and muscular, making them an ideal meat type, with average boars of about 900 pounds at maturity and sows of about 800 pounds. Big Bill, the largest hog ever recorded, was a Poland China of 2,552 pounds owned by Elias Buford Butler of Jackson, Tennessee, in the early 1930s.

Like Durocs, Poland Chinas are hardy animals that feed well. In addition, they are exceptional breeders that are well suited to transportation because of their quiet dispositions.

Spotted Poland China

Spotteds are actually so closely related to Poland Chinas that they almost could be considered the same breed — the spotted looks just like a Poland China but with spots. However, spotted breeders consider theirs a better pig, and since 1914, they have been organized under their own breeding association. As their name implies, they have a spotted coloration, either white with black spots or black with white spots, which they inherited from the Gloucestershire Old Spots side of their family.

Most feel that spotteds offer only a moderate meat quality, though the sows are known for their exceptional mothering ability. Not only do they produce a good quantity of milk for their young, but they also give birth to large litters — one of the largest of the colored breeds. Like Poland Chinas, they are good feeders; they mature early and grow rapidly.

Landrace

Landrace hogs originated in Denmark, which jealously guarded exportation of these hogs for centuries. However, in the 20th century, importing these fine animals became possible. They have a soft white coat with pink skin, long, drooping ears, and flat backs. Although their legs tend to be short, they have a long, lean body that makes them an ideal bacon type. In addition, their long bodies have 16 or 17 pairs of ribs and thus produce more cuts of meat. The typical pig has 14 pairs of ribs.

Landrace pigs tend to be quite docile, and they grow rapidly. One of their most desirable characteristics is that Landrace sows produce unusually large litters, as well as a great deal of milk with which to support their piglets. As a result, Landrace sows often are used in crossbreeding programs, particularly with Durocs.

Yorkshire

Like the Landrace, the Yorkshire pig is a bacon type with white hair and pink skin. It has a dished face with erect ears and a long, lean frame that supplies ample, high-quality bacon. They were brought into the United States in the early 1800s, though it was not until the 1950s to 1970s that the breed really flourished. Yorkshires are comparatively small, with mature boars averaging 600 to 800 pounds, and they tend to grow slowly. Nevertheless, it is a popular breed commonly found in commercial pig farms across the United States.

Yorkshires breed well, with large litters and sows producing plenty of milk. Yorkshires commonly are seen in the media — if you can think of a famous pig from TV or film, it was probably a Yorkshire. For example, Arnold Ziffel, who often upstaged Eva Gabor on TV’s Green Acres, along with Babe from the 1995 film of the same name, were Yorkshires.

Ossabaw Island

Feral Ossabaws inhabit the island in Georgia from which they draw their name. In the 1500s, Spanish explorers often left small herds on islands in the Americas to establish future sources of food, and the pigs of Ossabaw Island are thought to be descended from one of those herds. Although some may see them as a pet breed, Ossabaws are usually prized for their dark, unusually textured meat, as it resembles that of the black Iberian pig.

Living in an isolated island environment has had some interesting effects on the breed. One consequence of their isolated existence in a sparse environment is an extremely high level of intelligence, which they require in order to exploit every possible food source. In addition, Ossabaws carry a “thrifty gene” that permits them to store fat effectively. The consequence is that domestic Ossabaws, which have ready access to ample food supplies, often develop a form of diabetes. Due to the breed’s problems with diabetes, the breed is rarely ever crossbred with other pigs. Ossabaws should be between 14 to 20 inches tall and 25 to 90 pounds, which translates into an approximate maximum of 4.5 pounds per inch of height.

Ossabaws come in a wide range of colors, but unless crossed with pigs of other breeds, they never develop stripes. Generallly, they have solid or spotted coats, sometimes resembling a calico pattern. Ossabaws may be red, gray, blue, and even white, although this is quite rare.

Ossabaws today are critically endangered. They are currently found in a few zoos on the mainland, but the pigs generally are not allowed to be removed from Ossabaw Island because they are at risk of carrying porcine vesicular stomatitis and because pseudorabies is found on the island. There are fears that the pigs on the island could transmit these diseases to pigs on the mainland.

Pigs for composting

Although it would be unusual to get pigs for the sole purpose of using them to help with your composting, if you are a homesteader, or if you have a small farm, you may wish to consider adding two or three pigs to your livestock herd. Pigs are excellent at rooting and turning soil.

In order to encourage pigs to help with your composting, you can set up a small fence capable of holding two or three pigs around your large compost heap. Electric netting or Pig QuikFence™ would work well. Many people place a layer of straw over the compost so the pigs can work it into the compost as they root. The pigs will turn over the compost thoroughly, trying to find anything good to eat in it.

It is a good idea to have other uses for these pigs in addition to the composting, as the composting will not keep them busy for long. If you are not interested in raising pigs for this purpose, you may wish to consider borrowing pigs for a day or two from a neighbor who raises pigs. You will need to have a very large compost heap to keep the pigs interested and busy. Even if you add material to the compost heap every day, you would need to supplement the pig’s diet with more nutritious food.

You could use any kind of pigs for composting, though it may become difficult to keep larger pigs inside a small enclosure.

Pig Husbandry

Pigs are wonderful, intelligent, sociable animals, but it is important that you seriously consider your ability to live up to the responsibilities that proper care for them entails. Although the decision to keep an animal should never be taken lightly, this is particularly true of pigs, which have very special requirements — although this is counterbalanced by the rewarding experience you can have with them. To begin with, if you are thinking of keeping a pig as a pet, you should be aware that the average lifespan of a domestic pig is ten to 15 years, and some breeds can live substantially longer.

The next important consideration is the size of animal you are able to handle. In the 1990s, it became trendy to own a “yuppy puppy,” or miniature pig, but many people did not realize that “miniature” is a relative term when applied to pigs. When the full-sized animal can be 900 pounds, or even bigger, “miniature” can mean 200 pounds. As a result, many pigs ended up in animal shelters waiting their turn to be euthanized. The problem persists today, though numerous pig rescue organizations have formed in response. By working to educate others about pigs, and by working hard to ensure that your pigs are properly cared for, you can make yourself a part of the solution.

In terms of intelligence and curiosity, a pet pig is much like a toddler. If there is some trouble it can get into, it will. If there is something it should not eat within its reach, it will eat it. You can train your pet pig in the same way that you train a puppy, but if your pig is bored or left alone too much, it will eat makeup that is lying around, medicine, or just about anything else that smells remotely appetizing to it. Just as you would need to childproof your home when a toddler starts to walk, you need to pig-proof if you plan to have an indoor pig. If there is a way your cupboards can be opened, or if there is a weakness in the fence, your pig will find it.

Depending on the size and type of pig, you may need to provide only a pet bed or a nest of blankets and a pet door in your house, or you may need to establish an entire indoor/outdoor area for its use. The amount of space at your disposal for your pig’s use largely determines the type of pig ownership that will be possible for you.

Another point you will find stressed throughout this book is that pigs are social animals with emotional needs. It would be cruel to raise a pig in isolation. Make certain that your pig has plenty of companionship, whether it is other pigs, different animals, or yourself. Just as a pig is comparable to a toddler in other respects, you will probably need to devote a similar amount of time to caring for your pig as you would a child. Few pet boarding facilities are set up to handle pigs; if you intend to travel, you should check to see if a boarding facility in your area has the facilities and abilities to care for swine. If you plan to maintain a herd, you probably will have to give up the idea of family vacations for a while. Raising livestock requires you be there every day to administer their needs, monitor their health, and remove manure. Even pastured pigs require too much attention to be left alone for long.

Do not be discouraged: raising pigs is fun, rewarding, and profitable. Like any undertaking, though, it is important to start with your eyes open so you know what you are getting into.

Characteristics and Behavior

Domestic pigs have changed a great deal over the last century or so. The dwindling use of lard in cooking has led pork producers to breed a leaner animal to satisfy consumer demand. The round, fat pigs of the past, called “chuffy” pigs or “cob rollers,” are no longer as prevalent. Wild pigs, which are termed “leggy” or “rangy,” do not quite meet the needs of the modern pig breeder either because they lack the meat quality consumers want. Instead, the contemporary swine falls somewhere in between the two, favoring a larger loin eye area.

A pig’s anatomy is remarkably similar to that of a human being. Pigs have a respiratory, cardiovascular, and digestive system so much like ours that it is common for them to be used as test animals in laboratories. This is important because it helps pig owners understand these animals and how to care for them. Essentially, pigs need the same things humans do. If your diet, climate, and shelter seem comfortable to you, it is safe to assume that it is suitable for your pig as well.

Like human beings, hogs are omnivores, which is probably a big part of their success, both as a species and as a complement to humanity. Omnivores are extremely adaptable, which allows them to survive more readily in new environments and ecosystems. Like many omnivores, pigs are extremely intelligent, using their exceptional brainpower to hunt out new food sources and opportunities. According to the National Pork Producers Council, pigs are the fourth smartest animal after humans, apes, and dolphins.

Often, they are friendly, sociable creatures, but at the same time, they tend to be individualistic — each pig has a unique characteristic. Some pigs, especially boars (adult males), may exhibit aggressive or antisocial tendencies, though most are gregarious, curious, and playful. Most males are castrated when they are a few days old because they are destined to be feeder pigs instead of being used for breeding. If you are considering raising pigs, they should be raised in groups, or at least with some form of companionship. Most pigs bond readily with other animals or human beings, and you will want to be sure your pig is not lonely. Often, a badly behaved pig is a bored or lonely pig, so attend to the animal’s emotional needs — not only for the pig’s sake, but also because a contented pig is easier to manage. You should provide a pig with toys, because pigs are often as playful as puppies. Suggested toys include empty plastic trash cans they can push around, a bowling ball, or knotted pieces of rope or strips of cloth attached to the walls of their pen, which they like to pull.

Pigs have poor eyesight, as their small, bleary eyes seem to suggest. For this reason, they tend to be wary of new places and are easily startled. Although their wild counterparts can be nocturnal, modern domestic pigs lack the tapetum lucidum, or inner-eye reflective tissue, that allows improved night vision, so pigs are not fans of dark places. The placement of their eyes favors lateral vision, but they lack the fine musculature needed for sharp focusing. This means if you are trying to move pigs, you will need to consider the effect that darkness and their limited forward vision has on them. A pig may put up a terrible fight about moving forward into a dark building, for example, because its forward vision makes the area ahead seem frightening. However, if you use a carrier or scoot the pig forward by means of a chute with pig boards placed close behind it and in front of it, the pig will move forward without any problem.

Pigs tend to interact with each other through their excellent sense of hearing and ability to vocalize, making pigs great communicators. It has been observed that pigs can make more than 20 distinct sounds that communicate meaning to other pigs. For instance, a single grunt, short or long, seems to indicate that a pig is happy, while a pig that grunts many times in succession is hungry. When a pig grunts several short times together, it usually means the pig is angry, and when a pig squeals, it is an indication the pig is in pain or fear. Sows give instructions to their piglets at feeding time and are known to make soothing noises as their babies nurse.

For all the power of pigs’ ears, their most important tool is their super-sensitive snout. A pig’s snout is its fingers, eyes, and nose, all in one. The surface of a pig’s snout is covered in thousands of tiny hairs that aid in capturing scents. Not only can they smell out all kinds of different foods with that powerful snout, but it also contains a structure of cartilage that they are able to use as a sort of shovel to root around, turning over clumps of earth to expose tender plants or grubs. They achieve a surprising degree of dexterity with their snouts, rivaling even the elephant’s remarkable “fingers” in the tip of its trunk. Although a well-fed pig does not need to root to find food, most will do so to amuse themselves and better understand their environment, so it is best to provide them with fresh straw or hay. Sometimes rooting can be an undesirable behavior, and some farmers put a humane ring through a pig’s nose in order to prevent it. If you are keeping pet pigs, be aware that most breeds will tear up lawns or flowerbeds. Rooting is an excellent way to turn the soil, but it can destroy anything planted.

Pigs have rather short legs when compared with the length of their bodies, though this does not prevent young or fit pigs from achieving surprising speeds — in some places, pigs are even raced. Their feet are made up of four toes, each with an individual hoof, though they walk only on their front two, which are larger and more solid, while the other two dewclaws at the back of the hoof rarely touch the ground, except when a pig is moving at top speed.

One unfair stereotype about pigs is that they are dirty animals. It is certainly true that pigs like to wallow, or lie about, in mud and water because they do not have sweat glands. A cool wallow allows them to regulate their body temperatures when it is hot. In addition, light-colored pigs are susceptible to sunburn and biting insects, and a coat of mud will protect them from both. However, if your pigs are given sufficient shade and a clean living area free of fecal matter to minimize insects, your pigs can wallow just as well in fresh, clean water. Most pigs are excellent swimmers, though potbellied breeds sometimes injure their bellies by kicking their back feet. You can provide your pigs with a mud wallow, a child’s wading pool, or even a small, clean concrete pool. Pigs love water, and so always make certain there is an ample supply for swimming and wallowing during the summer months, as well as for drinking.

Although most farm animals will defecate or urinate wherever they happen to be when the urge takes them, pigs do not do this. In fact, they are quite fastidious about such things, designating a specific place in which to do their business that is well separated from their nesting and feeding areas. Pigs living communally also will cooperate in this, establishing one or two restroom areas respected by all. This makes housetraining a pet pig easy. Researchers at the University of Illinois also found that pigs will not play with a toy that has been soiled with feces.

Pigs often are found in dirty, muddy pens, but you should not keep your pigs this way. One reason people may do this is that it helps create emotional distance from animals intended for butchering. It is important that you, as a responsible owner, make certain your pigs spend most of their lives with clean bodies, bedding, and food, even if a mud wallow is in the mix. It can be difficult to include a clean mud wallow in a pigpen, but not impossible. Along with kiddie pools for your pigs, you could include a shallow concrete wallow filled with water. Not only will keeping your pigs clean make life better for the pigs, but it will lead to better meat and a better overall experience for you.

Anatomy and Physiology

Pigs have a cardiovascular system with a heart and lungs located in approximately the same places as a human’s heart and lungs. They have a gastrointestinal tract that is similar to human’s as well. As farm animals go, they are not the most efficient grazers because they have only one stomach, unlike the cow that has four stomachs.

Pigs have a long snout they can use like a digging tool when they “root.” Rooting allows them to dig and turn over soil to find food or anything edible beneath the topsoil. As you might imagine, the pig also has a remarkable sense of smell that they use to sniff out anything to eat. Between their hooves and their active snouts, pigs can keep the ground dug up effectively.

The mulefoot pig, a rare old breed, has a single hoof on each foot, like a mule. They are the only pig with this trait, although this trait is sometimes passed along when these pigs are crossbred.

Many people are unaware that pigs have hair. Their hair can range from a light, soft fluff to a harsh bristle, depending on the breed and sex of the pig. The color also varies a great deal. Pigs can be black, white, piebald — black with white bands or spots and points (feet and ears) — red, sandy, spotted, striped, gray, and mixes of these colors. Many people believe that pigs are pink but “pink” pigs are actually white breeds. Their pink skin shows through, however.

Some breeds of pigs also have wattles. Wattles are long pieces of flesh that hang from their cheeks. They are not jowls, but hang behind the jowls, under the ears. There is no real purpose for wattles. They are simply a feature on some breeds.

Pigs can have either erect or flop ears. Flop ears, also called lop ears, are drooping ears. Some ears are so long that they can cover the pig’s eyes. In many cases, this is a good way to identify a breed if all other characteristics are the same.

So-called “Hogzillas” that have been in the news in recent years in the United States have been found in Georgia and other Southern states. They are likely domestic pigs that have gone feral, according to DNA testing. Other specimens have been the offspring of a wild hog and a domestic pig. Pigs can revert naturally to a feral state rapidly because of a lack of interaction with humans. When this happens, their physical appearance can change, which includes a change in their skull. The dish-shaped face of the farmer’s pig can change in just a few months to the straighter skull of the wild pig. This change allows the feral pig to use its snout more effectively for rooting and digging. The feral pig’s teeth will continue to grow, particularly its wolf teeth that will become tusk-like. The feral pig will continue to put on weight until it weighs far more than the farmer’s pig.

On the farm, feeder pigs usually are slaughtered when they reach 230 to 250 pounds. It typically takes about five or six months after weaning to reach this weight. Sows kept on the farm for breeding may reach 600 pounds, depending on the breed. Boars kept for breeding may reach 800 pounds, depending on the breed. Some of the feral hogs discovered have weighed 800 pounds or more.

Without a trip to the butcher, the lifespan of a pig is about 12 to 15 years, though some miniature pigs may live longer.

Buying Pigs

In this section, you will learn all about purchasing your first young, recently weaned pigs, or shoats. However, it is important to have their living area established before you bring them home, and you will need to conduct a little research to find the best breeders in your area. If you know anyone in the business, you have a tremendous advantage, but you can learn a good deal by talking with local feed store owners and veterinarians. Check your newspaper’s classified ads, yellow pages, or Craigslist (www.craigslist.org), but be sure you have also consulted with your region’s pork producers’ associations or breed associations such as the American Berkshire Association, the United Duroc Swine Registry, or the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Breeders that join such associations tend to be more concerned with their reputations and work hard to ensure their stock is healthy and well bred. Finally, you need to check into your community’s zoning laws to ensure they permit pig ownership.

If possible, never buy your pigs from a stockyard, auction, or other third-party seller. Buy directly from the farm of origin if you can because the more livestock is transported, the more chances there are for something to go wrong. Transport to an auction means contact with pigs from other farms, which means there is a greater likelihood of disease and injury. When you buy directly from the breeder, you have a better opportunity to assess the conditions of the place where your new pigs originate. You can learn much just by looking. If the farm is generally in disrepair and not well maintained, you can be sure the animals on it have not fared any better. Dirt and manure are a normal part of any farm, but a good farmer keeps the farm in order so it functions well. Animal enclosures should not have significant manure buildup, and bedding should appear fresh and clean.

Once you have settled on a breeder, you can begin to think about making a purchase. One of the best beginners’ approaches is to purchase a couple of shoats in the spring and fatten them for fall hams, keeping one for the table and selling the other, if you so choose. There is some division about whether it is better to work with barrows (young, castrated male pigs) or gilts (young female pigs), though each has its advantages. Barrows tend to gain weight faster than gilts, but gilts can accept more nutrient-rich feed and produce leaner meat. In general, either will do, and your decision should really be based on the best-looking pigs available.

Early in the spring, contact the farms and breeders in your area to find out when they are farrowing — that is, when their sows will be giving birth. You will want to buy your feeder pigs when they are in the 6- to 8-week-old range. This is a good time to buy your pigs because their prices are at their lowest at this age, and they are easy to handle. As the piglets get older and the farmer invests more in feeding them, their cost will increase. Sometimes it is possible to pick them out before they are weaned and return for them later. If this is possible, you might want to do so. Good breeders castrate their young male pigs as a matter of routine, so this should be done, and the animals should be well healed before you bring any home.

What to look for when buying pigs

When you go look at the pigs, the farmer most likely will have all the young shoats for sale in a single pen. Take some time to look them over. Healthy pigs usually will move far away from visitors and then gradually approach as they grow more accustomed to the newcomers and their natural curiosity takes over. Pigs that make no movement when strangers approach should be viewed with suspicion; such listless behavior is often a sign of poor health or injury.

In general, crossbred or hybrid pigs tend to be more vigorous than purebreds, though only when the crossbreeding is part of a planned breeding program. Ask the farmer about his or her breeding approach; most will be happy to talk about their ideas about breeding because it says much about who they are as farmers. If possible, you want to look at the parent stock as well, to see what kind of animals you are buying. Look at all the pigs in the group. In your mind, separate all the largest animals first, because you want to take home the biggest in the lot. Discount any that do not seem lively or are notably lethargic. Watch out for animals that are limping noticeably, have diarrhea, or keep themselves separated from the other pigs.

A pig’s snout should be straight, not twisted or malformed, and there should not be any excessive runniness from its nostrils. Watch for sniffling and shaking, signs of respiratory problems and sickness. Feel around the jaws for lumpy nodes or pustules, which can be a sign of abscesses in the jaws — these can be treated, but you do not want to buy a pig if you notice these problems. Next, look at the pig’s eyes; they should be bright, free of discharge, and widely spaced, which many farmers feel is a sign the young pig will “grow into” them.

Beyond simple weight and age considerations, the relationship between weight and age is an important sign of an animal’s potential for growth. Feeder pigs should weigh about 35 to 45 pounds at 8 weeks, and 60 pounds at 12 weeks. There is some variation by breed and gender, but these figures are meant to be guidelines, not fixed rules. Just make sure you do not buy a 12-week-old pig that only weighs 20 pounds, unless it is a miniature breed and you want a small one.

The USDA also has a grading system for feeder pigs based on their “logical slaughter potential” and “thriftiness.” These technical terms refer to a pig’s growth potential and feed-to-gain efficiency. There are six categories (grade 1 being the best), but you should not purchase a pig of worse than grade 1 or 2.

• Grade 1 pigs are long-bodied, with thick muscling throughout and full hams and shoulders that are thicker than the rounded back.

• Grade 2 pigs appear similar to grade 1 pigs, but their muscling is slightly less thick, and they are slightly shorter-bodied. It is unlikely that, as a beginner, you would be able to tell the difference between a grade 2 and a grade 1 pig, but both make good starters.

• Grade 3 starter pigs seem short in relation to the size of their heads, and the muscling of their bodies appears thin over flat backs, with narrow shoulders and hams.

• Grade 4 pigs are decidedly short, and their thinly muscled bodies appear flat and thin, particularly in their lower regions.

• Utility grade pigs are thinly muscled throughout the bodies and have an unkempt appearance with tapered legs and thin hams and shoulders.

• Cull grade pigs seem weak because of disease or poor care, and they can only make a normal market weight after an extremely difficult and costly feeding regimen.

How should a healthy piglet act?

Piglets are remarkably different in temperament and personality, but certain characteristics are seen in all healthy pigs. Curiosity is an ever-present trait. Piglets are also incredibly energetic. Unless they are still unweaned, pigs should spend plenty of time playing with littermates, food, and whatever else they are able to get hold of. Piglets that isolate themselves or seem excessively sleepy should be avoided. These signs can indicate malnutrition or illness.

Pick the piglet up gently. Does it squeal loudly? This would be a normal reaction because pigs do not like being picked up for any reason. If one goes limp and quiet when you pick it up, there is most likely a respiratory problem present. It is best to pick a pig up by its rear legs. If you attempt to pick it up and cradle it like a baby, it most likely will squeal and squirm more.

Coughing, wheezing, and raspy breathing are red flags that the piglet has a respiratory infection. These are easily transmitted, so caution should be shown when purchasing from this breeder. Untreated communicable disease in pig herds is hard to escape.

Take plenty of time to watch how the piglets play among each other. They reveal much about their personalities in the way they play and interact. Some will appear dominant, while others seem very submissive. Return later if the piglets are not yet weaned. You will not be able to tell much about them while they are still nursing. Normally suckling piglets are either sleeping or eating.

Handling Pigs

The more time you spend with your pigs, the better. Pigs are friendly, sociable animals and if you spend time with them, it will make it easier to handle them. They enjoy being scratched and petted.

Piglets can be caught and picked up by the rear legs. They will squeal, but they are not being harmed. If you need to give your piglet a vaccination or hold a pig, you may lay the pig on its back if its small enough, or it might be a two-person job to hold the pig standing in place if the pig is larger.

Pig boards and snares

Pigs are one of the more difficult animals to move, but there will be times when you need to move them. You can carry a small shoat similar to the way you would carry a dog by holding it in your arms and supporting its stomach and chest. The piglet will squeal, so be prepared for protests. As the pig gets a little larger, use a pig board or hurdle. This is a tall board with cutouts or handles in the top so you can grip the board. If you place one board behind a pig and one in front of it to limit the pig’s movement options, you can scoot the pig forward in the direction you want it to move. This method works well if you need to load pigs to walk up or down a ramp to go in or out of a truck, for example. You also can get a pig to go into a dark building like a barn using this method. Most pigs object to entering dark places because of their poor eyesight.

For larger pigs, such as sows, you may need to use a snare to get it to go where you want. A pig’s head and snout are not really formed to accommodate a collar or halter. To overcome this problem, pig farmers use a snare. The snare is a flexible lead that loops around the pig’s upper jaw and snout. Once the snare is in place, the farmer can lead the pig. There is no pain involved. This is often the only way to encourage an 800-pound boar to go where you want it to go.

Different methods work best with different pigs, depending on their size and degree of cooperation. You will need to practice to find out which methods work best with your pigs.

Housing and Feeding Pigs

Although the three little pigs had to face a wolf huffing and puffing at the door, your pigs should have a much easier time of things. However, you will still need to decide what kind of structure to provide for your pigs. There are many housing options for pigs today, depending on the size of your herd, your goals for raising pigs, and the kind of pigs you keep.

People have kept pigs in just about every kind of enclosure you can imagine, from nailing together old bits of wood lying around to use as fencing; to using dog kennels for a sleeping place for their pigs; to using a cleaned out oil drum lined with bedding as a sleeping spot. No matter what your situation or how much room you have, it will probably be possible for you to keep a pig or two.

Structures

The most popular way to keep pigs on a small farm is to provide them with a covered, dry place to sleep next to an outdoor enclosure. This kind of setup allows the pigs to move around, even if it is a small space. They can be fed and watered in the outdoor enclosure. And, because pigs prefer to relieve themselves in one particular area of their enclosure, this setup will allow them room to move away from their feeding station and bedding area and keep the pen cleaner. If you choose to use this kind of setup, you can convert an existing structure, such as a shed, or you can build a new structure for your pigs.

Converting existing structures

Often the easiest way to begin keeping pigs is by converting an already-existing structure on your property, such as an unused shed, a workshop, a lean-to, or an old barn. Ideally, allow a space that is 5 feet by 7 feet (35 square feet) for sleeping space for each adult sow. Sows will need more room if they have litters: plan on at least 8 feet by 8 feet (64 sq. feet) for a sow and litter. For young pigs less than 50 pounds, allow about 4 to 6 square feet per pig. For pigs that you are growing out (from 50 to 200 pounds), allow about 8 square feet per pig. This assumes the pigs will have access to a pen when they are not sleeping. You can estimate 1 acre for two sows and their litters; or 1 acre for 25 young pigs less than 50 pounds; or 1 acre for ten pigs that weigh between 50 to 200 pounds. If you have less than 1 acre of ground for your pigs, you can make adjustments in your herd to fit the room you have.

When you convert an existing structure for your pigs, it is usually wise to have it enclosed on three sides, shielded against the prevailing winds in your area. One side of the shelter should remain open so the pigs can move into the pen for their feed and water. You may have to cope with whatever flooring already exists in the structure. Pigs usually do best on a hardwood floor. Wooden floors are easier on their hooves and legs than concrete and stay cleaner than a dirt floor. Concrete can be a good choice, provided there are some grooves in the floor to keep the pigs from slipping.

Remember that floors tend to get wet and can become slippery, so you will need to provide your pigs with plenty of good, clean bedding. Change out the bedding regularly to keep your pigs healthy and happy. Pigs traditionally enjoy straw as bedding but you can also use wood chips or sawdust as a bottom layer. This is a good idea if you have a dirt floor because it will make the space a little easier to clean. Topping off the wood chips or sawdust with straw will provide your pigs with something to chew on and keep them comfortable. Soybean stalks or dusty bedding of any kind is not recommended as they can cause respiratory problems. Aim for bedding that has good absorbency and that your pigs can rearrange as they like. That way they can pile it deeper for warmth or spread it out to stay cooler.

Building a new structure

You also can build a new structure for your pigs. When building a new structure for your pigs, consider the location. You may be fond of your pigs, but you will probably not want them to be too close to your house because of their odors. You should consider factors such as your weather and how much sun will shine on their location. Some nearby shade trees will be welcome during hot weather. You should consider how much rain you get and whether your area is prone to flooding. Place the new building for your pigs on higher ground so the adjacent pen will not get soggy. You should consider access to your building because you may need to have pigs and feed delivered in large trucks and hogs hauled to the butcher.

Once you have chosen a good location for your new structure, you can begin building. Depending on how large the building will be, you may want to include some farrowing pens for your sows. It is recommended that the building be wired for electricity so you can have a heat lamp, heating pad, and other things that may be needed during farrowing or during a veterinarian’s visit. A wooden structure is recommended if you are building from scratch. Metal buildings can hold in too much heat in the summer and cause your pigs to be uncomfortable. Make sure you lay a good foundation for the building that allows some air circulation beneath the structure because it is likely some wetness will seep through at times.

Walls in the building do not need to be made of wood because they can pick up dirt and be hard to clean. Pigs also may be inclined to chew on them. Instead, consider poured and reinforced concrete walls with an insulated interior. These walls will provide your pigs with more warmth in the winter and stay cooler in the summer. Ventilation is critically important in any building housing pigs, so make sure your building allows good airflow. For flooring, you can consider wooden or concrete floors. Wooden floors are believed to be warmer and easier on the hooves and legs, especially for large pigs. Concrete is easier to clean and will last a long time. If you do choose to go with wooden flooring, hardwood floors are recommended because they will last longer than other kinds of wood. Choose wood that is 2 inches thick to stand up to regular use from heavy swine.

The size and type of permanent structure you build will depend on how many pigs you plan to raise and what your focus will be. You can determine if you will need special areas for weanling pigs or if you need more room for finishing hogs. Building a new, permanent structure is an expensive proposition, but it may be worth the expense if you intend to devote a great deal of your business to raising hogs. You can obtain more specific building plans from your county extension services agent. The University of Tennessee has some excellent building plans online for many types of swine housing: http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu/extension/extpubs/PlanList97.htm#Swine%20Plans.

The mobile pig house

Mobile pig houses cover many different kinds of housing units. Quonset-type huts can be used successfully for raising pigs, as can hoop structures. Quonset huts are prefabricated, lightweight structures made of corrugated galvanized steel. They are all-purpose buildings that are easy to assemble, easy to move, and easy to clean. They are popular with livestock producers who often use them to house livestock, to store farm equipment, and to store hay. Hoop shelters have the added advantage that they provide good ventilation and plenty of natural light. You can keep sows or weanling pigs in these units or even use them to finish pigs before butchering.

Farmers who pasture raise their pigs typically provide mobile pig houses that can be moved as the pigs are rotated to different pastures or paddocks. For sows that farrow in the pasture, you can provide farrowing huts. Some of these huts are built of wood on an A-frame construction and slightly resemble a large doghouse. The sow can take possession of her farrow hut and deliver in a natural way. These huts are easily moved and can be cleaned and used again as needed.

Pasturing

There have been times in our history and in many parts of the world when pasture-raising pigs was common. With this approach, pigs typically are turned out in the pasture and left to grow. They grow more slowly than their confined counterparts, and they are exposed to the weather. Pigs cannot thrive on pasture grasses or forage alone, so their diet must be supplemented with feed.

There are a number of pros and cons to pasture raising pigs.

Benefits of pasture-raising pigs

• Pigs grow more slowly (meat has more flavor, distinct from commercial pork).

• Less early investment in buildings

• Lower production costs for the farmer (labor, feed)

• Permanent buildings are not needed.

• Pigs are under less stress (less cannibalism, less aggression).

• Manure is used in the pasture.

• The pigs’ immune systems are stronger.

Problems with pasture-raising pigs

• Pigs grow more slowly (involves more costs to raise).

• Pigs may have an increase in internal parasites.

• Pigs can escape from fencing.

One thing that should be mentioned is that pigs that spend time in the pasture are usually happy. Although that fact by itself cannot determine whether you raise your pigs in the pasture, it is an important consideration.

If you are interested in pasture-raising your pigs, it is estimated that good pasture can provide between 30 and 50 percent of the nutritional value of grain. You will need to supplement your pigs’ diets, especially if you have pregnant sows. Farmers who become seriously interested in pasture-raising pigs usually plant diverse fields of grasses and legumes so they can graze their pigs rotationally. This offers their pigs the widest range of nutrition and keeps the pastures from becoming overgrazed.

Fencing and Pens

Fencing and pens for your pigs do not have to be complicated, but they do need to be sturdy and well installed. Pens are often part of pig housing with an indoor sleeping area for pigs. In other cases, pens can be used as a drylot. Just as it sounds, a drylot is a large, dry lot on dirt where pigs are kept. You can plan to keep one large hog in 150 square feet of space in a drylot.

Whether you are putting up a pen for a drylot or as part of a housing setup, the pen needs to be designed for the pigs you intend to keep in it. If you use rails or planks, for instance, small shoats will wiggle their way between them. If you use woven farm wire that is not strong enough, some hogs will be able to push it over or push through it. Hog panels are a good choice to contain your pigs because they are designed with pigs in mind. Hog panels are all metal, woven-wire, and easy to move. They also attach easily to metal posts, which makes them easy to put up. They are 34 to 54 inches tall by 16 feet long. You can buy them new or used. Used is fine, and you will save money if you buy them secondhand. You may consider wooden-slatted fencing if the slats are close together. This kind of fencing will keep shoats inside the pen, and larger pigs cannot push through it. If you use wooden-slatted fencing, you will need to make sure that the slats are placed close to the ground so young shoats cannot crawl under the fence. You may wish to place some wire fencing at the base of the fence or run a strand of electric fencing around the bottom of the fence to keep small pigs from trying to dig their way out. Like many animals, pigs usually think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

You can purchase hog panels at the Tractor Supply Company store (www.tractorsupply.com) and at feed supply stores. You may be able to find hog panels for sale secondhand on Craigslist or in your local newspaper at a significant savings. You can check with local farmers to ask if they know anyone who may have some to sell. You might find hog panels for sale at livestock auctions. You will be able to find wooden-slatted fencing at most home supply stores, such as Home Depot, or you can go to a lumber yard and purchase the lumber to build the fence to your specifications.

You also can use electric fencing to keep your pigs in place. It is economical — a 4,000-foot coil of electric fence wire is $100, and a 5-mile AC electrical fence controller to send electricity through the wire is about $40. Electric fencing is easy to find in home supply stores and other places, but probably you will have the widest selection in a store such as Tractor Supply Company. Pigs learn quickly to stay away from the fence. If you are worried that the electric shock will hurt your pigs, you can try touching the wire yourself. The shock is unpleasant, but it is not harmful. If you put up electric fencing, put up two strands of wire. One strand should be about 4 inches off the ground to prevent young pigs from scampering under, and the second strand should be 12 to 16 inches off the ground to keep larger pigs from leaning over the wire. For additional security, you can add a third wire 30 inches off the ground. Make sure you mark the wire every few feet with caution tape to warn the pigs, as well as yourself and other visitors to your farm, where the wire is.

If you are fencing a larger area, such as a pasture where pigs will be raised, electric wire, barbed wire combined with electric wire, and electrified netting are all possibilities if you are fencing large tracts of land where pigs will be grazing. Field fencing is one of the most expensive options, and it is hard to install, but this kind of fencing can last up to 50 years. You will not need to replace this kind of fence in the near future, and it will do an excellent job of keeping pigs or any other farm animal contained. General-purpose field fencing usually starts at $159 for fence that is 47 inches tall and 330 feet long; studded “T” posts for the fence are $3.99 each at the Tractor Supply Company at the time of this writing. As usual, you may be able to find better deals if you buy secondhand. Electrified netting is also expensive, but it is versatile and can be moved from place to place. It is useful if you plan to use rotational grazing for your pigs. You can move the electrified netting wherever your pigs are grazing. Most electrified netting in the United States is sold by Premiere1Supplies.com and can be purchased online with free ground delivery. Fifty feet of Pig QuikFence is $57; 100 feet is $70.

When you are installing your fences, you will need to put up a few gates. Give some careful thought to whether gates should swing inward or outward. For instance, if you do not want your pigs to try to rush out of the pen into an open area when you enter, it is best to plan a gate to open inward. If your pen opens into a pasture for the pigs, however, it may be fine to have a gate that swings outward to allow the pigs to have easier access to the larger area. If you have a gate to a barn entrance, you may wish to control access and have a gate that opens inward so you can control how many pigs you allow to enter at one time. Consider the best locations for your gates. If you have adjoining pens, for example, you may wish to place a gate inside the pen as a shortcut instead of having to drive pigs out of one pen and into the other. These may seem like minor matters, but they can make a big difference when you are driving your pigs from one pen to another or carrying out your daily chores.

Hygiene Considerations

Your pigs’ living quarters will have a direct impact on their health, the quality of meat they produce, and on you or anyone else who works around them. Good planning can make it much easier to maintain hygienic conditions around your pigs, make cleaning the pen easier, and make for a more pleasant work environment on the farm.

Pigs are naturally clean animals, and they prefer to use one area of their pen or lot as a bathroom. Once this area is established as the bathroom spot, your job of cleaning out the pen each day should be decidedly easier because you will only have one place to concentrate your cleaning efforts. You also should check the sleeping area each day and clean out any wet or dirty places. Put down fresh straw or other bedding to keep the area dry and comfortable for your pigs.

One of the chief reasons for diseases among swine is overcrowding, so try to keep the number of pigs you house together down to lower numbers. Hygiene can be affected when pigs tear up the ground with their hooves. It is likely that after it rains your pigs’ pen may turn into a muddy pit. There is not much you can do about mud in your pigs’ pen if you are raising them on dirt, but you can rotate your pigs to new pens from time to time if you have the space available. This will allow one pen to dry out while your pigs use the new pen. Rotating your pigs to clean pens tends to cut down on the spread of disease and parasites as long as you make sure that the new pen has been sanitized since its last use.

You can raise your pigs on concrete flooring. This can be a viable option if you have outdoor concrete pads already on your property where grain has been kept or barns have stood before. Concrete is not an ideal surface for pigs because it is hard on their hooves and legs and not comfortable if they wish to lie down outdoors. Concrete can also become hot during the summer months unless there is plenty of shade provided. However, it is easy to keep clean and not subject to disease and parasites in the same way that dirt pens are.

Sand is another option for your pens to keep them cleaner and more hygienic. Pigs enjoy sand, and it is relatively comfortable for their legs and hooves. Sand does not promote the spread of disease or parasites as much as dirt does. Sand also can provide good drainage for your pen, so water and urine do not collect.

You also can make your pigs’ living situation better and cut down on slipping, sliding, and mud by placing your feeding and watering stations on concrete platforms in the pens. The platforms do not have to be high. The goal is to keep the pigs from sliding around in the mud as they spend time in these important areas.

Remember that ventilation is also important to hygiene if your pigs have an indoor sleeping area or if they are confined part of the time. Good airflow will help reduce disease. If your pigs are housed, you can solve ventilation issues by having one side of their sleeping area open to the outside, have a window in the building, or have a fan in the top of the ceiling.

Food, Water, and Shade

Your pigs have a number of basic requirements to stay happy and healthy. Without food, water, and shade, your pigs cannot grow and be happy. There is a wide variety of watering and feeding methods for you to choose from, depending on how many pigs you will be raising, your husbandry methods (the way you raise and care for your livestock), and how much money you plan to invest in your equipment. Some watering and feeding methods will mean much more work for you, but they will cost less. Others methods will cost much more, but you will have much less work to do each day. Before you purchase your feed and water equipment, it is a good idea to see if you can talk to other farmers or visit their farms and see how their equipment is set up. This is especially helpful if you find other farmers who are raising pigs with the same intentions as yourself.

Waterers

You cannot underestimate the importance of water when raising your pigs. Pigs will need free access to water at all times. You can estimate that each pig will consume about two to three times as much water as feed per day. That means that a 100-pound grower pig that eats 6 pounds of feed per day will consume about 12 to 18 pounds of water, or 1.5 to 2.2 gallons. The amount of water your pigs drink will fluctuate slightly depending on the weather and changes in their feed. However, you should continue to have fresh water available to your pigs at all times.

There are a number of different watering methods for pigs ranging from a simple water dish or tub of water for a single pig to expensive automatic heated waterers. A water dish or tub for your pigs is a perfectly fine way to start out if you are raising one or two pigs. A water dish or tub is typically made of rubber, plastic, metal, or even concrete. The important thing should be that it is durable so it can stand up to use by your pigs. Pigs will be more likely to turn over lightweight tubs, so you can try to use heavier tubs, but they may still play with them. A water trough may be a more practical choice, whether you have one or two pigs or several. You can make a water trough from an old water tank cut in half and placed on concrete blocks or wooden blocks, or you may purchase a new trough from a livestock supply store. Water troughs can be anchored in place or they may be moved from place to place if you plan to move your pigs to different lots.

You may choose to water young pigs by means of nipple drinkers. Nipple drinkers are 1-gallon containers with a metal valve that acts as a nipple on the side. These waterers are good for young pigs, and they keep out dirt and debris but they have to be anchored securely to keep pigs from dislodging them. The nipple drinkers gradually can be raised higher as the pigs become bigger. Nipple drinkers can be attached to a permanent pipe system so water is constantly available. However, this method of watering is not heated, so they are not recommended as an outdoor waterer. Nipple drinkers have to be purchased and are not homemade devices.

A hog watering tank can hold between 35 and 250 gallons of water. These tanks have a “hog drinker,” or a trough cut in the side where the pigs can drink. They automatically refill themselves with water, and they can be heated for winter watering outdoors. However, these tanks are hard to keep clean if you are raising your pigs on dirt flooring. When the pig puts his head into the trough, it is washing its face in the drinking water. A hog watering tank does make it easy to give pigs medicine or supplements because you will know how many gallons are in the waterer and can mix appropriately.

The most expensive way to provide your pigs with water is with an automatic heated watering tank. This watering system is beneficial because the water flow is automatic, and this system has a flip lid that pigs learn to use. This prevents dirt and debris from entering the tank. The tanks can be drained for cleaning, which means they are less work for the farmer.

Feeders

A feeding dish or tub can work well if you are raising one or two pigs. If you are feeding several pigs, you will need to use a trough with dividers to keep pigs from being too greedy. Otherwise, a dominant pig may stand in the trough and prevent the other pigs from eating or try to claim all of the feed by pushing the other pigs away from the trough.

Some farmers prefer to feed their pigs by putting feed on the ground for them and scattering it around the pen, away from sleeping and bathroom areas. This method is most often used by small farmers who prefer a more natural approach to raising their pigs because it allows pigs to eat their food off the ground as they would if they were grazing or foraging.

Wall feeders are another option for feeding your pigs. Piglets that have not been weaned yet are frequently fed by means of wall feeders in the creep, or the part of the farrowing area where the sow cannot follow them, when they begin having their first meals. This prevents the sow from trying to get their feed and being in competition with them for food.

Hayracks, such as those used for horses, can be set at a height comfortable for your pigs to use, and filled with hay, alfalfa, or other grasses. This is a good option for your pigs when they are indoors. Hay is usually left in a bale when it is provided to pigs outdoors, or the pigs use the automatic feeders.

If you are raising a large number of pigs, the easiest way to feed your pigs is with a self-feeder, or bulk bin feeder. Self-feeders are popular, and pigs quickly learn to use them. Self-feeders can hold between 50 pounds and several tons of feed. Self-feeders are expensive — an average self-feeder for three to four pigs will usually cost $75 to $100; and a small, used bulk bin feeder capable of holding 4 tons of grain may sell for about $1,000 — so you will not want to purchase one of these systems unless you know you intend to continue raising pigs. The trough portion of the feeder has flaps the pigs open when they want to eat. The farmer can adjust how much feed is available to the pigs. A 40-bushel hog feeder (the Big “O” oscillating feeder, with 12 feeding stations) sells for around $1,400 at BarnWorld.com (www.barnworld.com).

What to feed your pigs

Although pigs are not too fussy about their food, feeding them the right feed can lead to better and faster weight gain, which can mean better profits for you. Every pig raiser wants to see happy, thriving pigs, which results from knowing something about feed.

Pigs do eat like pigs. That is to say, they like their food — a lot. A pig’s appetite and its ability to gain weight quickly compared to other farm animals are traits that have made it dear to the hearts of farmers. At one time, pigs were known as “the mortgage lifters” because of their excellent return on investment to the farmer and their ability to help pay the mortgage. Just a little feed and some scraps tossed your pig’s way for a few months, and it can present you with a freezer full of delicious pork. If you grow an extra pig, you can sell the second pig at market and more than make up your feed and other costs.

If you are like most first-time pig owners, you may be filled with some concerns about feeding and nutrition. Fortunately, pigs are efficient animals, and they can thrive on different kinds of diets. For pigs raised in pens, you can expect to provide most of their nutrition from grain in some form, along with as many table scraps as you are able to provide. Many small farmers make a habit of collecting vegetables, bread, and other things from their kitchens each night, adding some milk to the food remains, and giving this mixture to their pigs. If you have a garden on your property, your pigs will welcome anything that you wish to toss their way. Some people suggest that pigs should avoid potatoes and other plants of the nightshade family. Young potatoes often have a tint of green on them and are high in the toxin solanine, which is a glycoalkaloid that can be hard for your pigs to digest. Eating a few may not harm your pigs, but it is best not to feed them a large amount as they can cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems, or in extreme cases, death. You can also check with grocery stores to see if they have leftover produce.

If you are trying to feed your pigs an organic diet, you probably will want to avoid feeding them meat scraps, unless your meat scraps are certified organic. Pigs love eggs, and it is fine to feed them eggs, shells and all. If you have hens on your farm, you will have a constant source of eggs for your pigs. However, discourage your hens from laying their eggs near the pigs. Pigs quickly will learn to follow the hens and eat their eggs if they can get to them.

If your pigs are allowed to forage, they can find many tasty things to eat on their own. Pigs that eat acorns and chestnuts will have particularly flavorful pork. However, you should try to keep your pigs away from areas where black walnuts fall because these can be toxic to your pigs. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has a good website with photos of more than 400 toxic plants (www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants). If you have questions about the plants growing on your property, consult your county extension services agent or someone from your local university’s agriculture or biology departments. They will be able to identify plants for you.

The following plants are known to be poisonous to pigs, so learn to identify them and keep pigs away from them or remove them from your property:

• Black-eyed Susans

• Jimson weed

• Lambs quarters

• Nightshade

• Pigweed

• Pokeberry

• Spotted water hemlock

• Two-leaf cockleburrs

Grains

Most of your pig’s diet probably will come in the form of grain. Most grains have high concentrations of energy, so they help your pig gain weight more quickly. You can grow your own grains as crops, which is an economical way to feed your pigs, you can buy grain from a local feed mill, you can purchase commercial feeds that rely heavily on grains, or you can have custom grain mixes made up for your pigs by your local feed mill.

There are five basic grains in common use for feeding pigs: corn, wheat, milo (sorghum), barley, and oats. Corn is the most common of these grains. When the other grains are used, such as wheat or barley, they are not used as a full grain feed ration or as the sole form of grain that is fed to the pig. Instead, they only make up part of the grain ration fed to the pig. This is because they are less palatable in some cases and have fewer of the nutrients that pigs require. When you feed your pigs these grains, they will need more supplements. Corn can be fed as a full grain feed ration by itself, which explains why it is so popular as a feed for pigs.

Corn is high in carbohydrates and low in fiber. It is an especially good feed for finishing hogs, when you are trying to put the last pounds on a hog before going to market. However, you will need to supplement your pigs with protein and vitamins and minerals if you feed them corn.

Protein

Your pigs must have good sources of protein in order to have the amino acids they need to thrive because their bodies cannot make amino acids on their own. Amino acids are necessary to build muscle, for gestation, lactation, and growth.

Because protein is essential for growth, pigs need different levels of protein at different times in their lives.

Pig Protein Requirements

Age — Protein %

Nursing/weaning — 18-20

Growers (50-125 lbs) — 15-16

Finishing (125-250 lbs) — 13-14

Young gilts and boars — 15-16

Adult sows and boars — 13-14

A number of good protein supplements commonly are added to a pig’s feed. Soybean meal is a popular protein supplement. Soybeans can be grown easily in case you are interested in growing your own crop. You should not allow pigs to eat raw soybeans, however. They contain trypsin inhibitors, which can prevent the young pig’s body from absorbing protein properly and inhibit growth. Although soybean meal is economical, it still lacks vitamins and minerals. If you use soybean meal as your protein source, you can use alfalfa meal as a good source of vitamins and minerals for your pigs. Mix the soybean meal, alfalfa meal, and corn together for a good, nutritious feed for your pigs.

Other plant sources of protein include wheat, bran, alfalfa meal, distiller’s grains, brewer’s products, corn gluten meal, and hominy feed. Depending on the grain and protein supplement you choose for your pigs, you will need to find the right mixture of vitamins and minerals to add to your pigs’ diet. For example, if you use alfalfa meal as a protein source, it is already a good source of vitamins and minerals, which means you will have to use fewer vitamin and mineral additives. The downside of using some of these other plant protein sources is that they are more costly than soybean meal. For example, at one feed store, a 100-pound bag of soybean meal was $19; a 50-pound bag of alfalfa meal was $12; and a 50-pound bag of corn gluten meal was $24. You will need to consider the fact that soybean meal has about 38 percent protein compared to 16 to 18 percent protein for alfalfa meal, and 40 percent protein for corn gluten meal. So, choosing the best protein supplement is not always easy.

Vitamins and minerals

Vitamins and minerals typically come in premixes to be mixed into grains or feeds, unless they are supplied in the form of a specific supplement such as alfalfa meal. However, premixes can be expensive and are usually best purchased in bulk. For one brand, a 60-pound bag of starter premix was $37.50 with a ten-bag minimum order if purchased online and delivered. Premixes can be purchased at many feed stores where livestock feed is sold.

Vitamins and minerals need to be given to your pigs in the right formulation because too much or too little of certain ingredients can lead to health problems. For example, selenium is toxic even in low amounts, though a lack of selenium can cause sudden death in rapidly growing young pigs. It must be fed at just the right amount (3 parts per million for pigs). Less salt (sodium) is good for finishing and growing pigs. The vitamins and minerals that your pigs require will fluctuate at different stages of their development. Your pigs can rely on some vitamins and minerals from the soil if they graze, and they will get some vitamin D from the sun if they are outdoors. However, pigs that are confined indoors will rely completely on vitamin and mineral supplements.

Other supplements and additives

Along with vitamins, minerals, and protein supplements, your pigs may benefit from other additives to their feed. Meat and bone meal, fish meal, and tankage are all animal-based supplements that can add high-quality protein and/or fat to your pigs’ diets. Meat and bone meal and fish meal are leftover byproducts from slaughter and processing. Tankage is a liquid product from rendered (cooked down) animal carcasses. When it comes to palatability, pigs seem to prefer the taste of soybean meal to other protein supplements. Meat and bone meal, fish meal, and tankage are good sources of phosphorus and calcium. They can be used for up to half the necessary protein in your pigs’ diets.

Pigs are fond of milk products, and these products can supply many of the nutrients missing from grains. Milk products are easy to digest, and they are especially good for young growing pigs. Dried whey and dried skim milk are typically added to the starter mix diets of young weaned pigs in order to improve growth performance. They can be fed until the pigs weigh about 30 pounds. Lactose is milk sugar and dried whey contains 70 percent lactose; dried skim milk is made up of 50 percent lactose. Whey contains lactose, lactoglobulin protein, lactalbumin, water-soluble vitamins, and minerals. Dried skim milk has a similar content but has less lactose and more milk proteins. Dried skim milk usually costs more than whey and is reserved for younger pigs. If you have a cow or two on your property, you easily may be able to spare some milk for your pigs. You still can give milk to your adult pigs though they will not benefit from the milk as much as young pigs. Molasses often is added to a pig’s grain mix both to improve palatability and to help keep dust down. Molasses is high in iron, but it is also high in calcium, which prevents the pig’s body from absorbing the iron.

Commercial Feeds

If you are starting to think that feeding your pigs is too complicated, there are good commercial swine feeds available at feed stores. They come in many different formulas: for starting weaning pigs, for shoats, for growers, for finishing hogs, for pregnant sows, and for breeding. Some areas of the country have more choices in feed available to them than others, but commercial swine feed is usually available wherever livestock feed is sold. If you can locate a good feed store, they likely will carry some of these brands, or they may be able to order them for you. If you do not live near a feed store, you may be able to find a distributor who sells online or over the telephone if you are willing to buy in bulk.

Organic feed

According to the latest reported figures from the National Ag Statistics Service of the USDA in 2010, for the year 2008, there were 8,940 hogs and pigs certified organic in December 2008 on 258 farms in the United States. In order to be certified organic, pigs must be raised organically from the last third of the gestation period until butchering. Antibiotics may not be used, which includes antibiotics in feed. Growth hormone stimulants may not be used, and artificial ingredients and preservatives are kept to a minimum.

You can begin an organic program with grower pigs that have not been raised organically and change over to organic, but you will not be able to sell their pork as organic. In this situation, the piglets will need to be weaned onto an organic starter feed. Continue to feed them an organic diet by feeding them organic grain and supplements raised on your own farm or purchased from a local organic farm. Sources for organic grain can be harder to find than commercial feeds, but they are available. Some feed mills offer organic grains, and you can have custom mixes made to your specifications. You can contact individual organic farmers in your area to see if they sell organic grain. Talk to your county extension services agent to find out about organic farmers near you. He or she may also be able to suggest other sources for organic grain. You can find national sources of organic grain through ATTRA, the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service site at http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/livestock_feed. They have listings for organic livestock feed suppliers throughout the country. There are also commercial organic feeds available that do not contain antibiotics or other preservatives. You will need to check to see if these feeds contain genetically modified corn or other grains. Modesto Milling (www.modestomilling.com), the Buckwheat Growers Association of Minnesota (www.buckwheatgrowers.com), and Ranch-Way Feeds (www.ranch-way.com) are a few companies that create organic feeds for pig farmers.

Custom mixes

If you raise your own grain or if there are farmers in your area who raise grain, you have the option of going to your local feed mill and requesting a custom feed mix for your pigs. This can be a good choice if you are not happy with the commercial choices available to you. This approach is usually most cost effective if you have a large number of pigs and you can purchase several tons of custom mixed grain, but your local feed mill also can custom mix grain for you and sell it to you by the 50-pound bag.

If you have your grain custom mixed, you can have your protein supplements and your vitamins and minerals added at the same time the grain is milled, which means less work for you because you will not have to mix up each ration for your pigs. Custom mixes can be great labor savers if you have more than a few pigs eating the same diet. You may be able to buy your grain from local farmers, so you will know where the ingredients came from and how they were grown.

Storage

The subject of feed inevitably leads to the issue of storage. There is usually a cost savings to buying grain and supplements in bulk, but buying in bulk makes storage more difficult. Just where do you put 3 tons of grain? Bulk bins are usually the best place to store large amounts of grain, and they have self-feeders in the bottom so pigs can feed themselves. At the moment, you may not think you would need a ton of grain, but keep in mind that one pig will eat about 7 pounds of grain per day. That is about 50 pounds per week, or 200 pounds per month. Multiply that by your number of pigs. If you have five pigs, you will easily use 1,000 pounds of feed in a month. So, it is not unusual to buy 2,000 pounds or more in one purchase.

Feed mills can put grain into a large bag for you that will hold 1,000 pounds. They can place this bag in the bed of a pickup truck, and you can bring it home. A tractor can move the bag to a bulk bin, or you can dip the grain out in just a few minutes by using a 5-gallon bucket.

You do not have to purchase tons of grain at one time. Do not purchase more than a month or two worth of grain at one time to prevent the grain from becoming dusty or moldy. Store your feed where it will be dry and where vermin will not be able to get to it. Feed will always attract rodents, so take care that you use rat-proof containers. For instance, you can store a 50-pound bag of feed in a metal trash container with a lid that fits securely. Make sure you never place feed containers where your pigs can get to them, or they will help themselves.

Pig Health

With good care, good feed, and good housing practices, your pigs should stay in good health if you have purchased them from disease-free sources. However, pigs can succumb to disease if one of the following situations occurs on your farm:

• If your pigs’ needs are not being met in some way

• If they are not getting the proper nutrients

• If you are overcrowding animals

• If you are not practicing good husbandry and you are failing to clean out the pigs’ pen or keeping things in poor condition or

• If the pigs are being stressed in some other way

Part of your daily care of your pigs should include observing them to make sure they are in good health. You often can do this when your pigs are eating. If there is a pig that is not hungry or that stands by itself or if there is a pig that is listless or that seems different from the day before, notice it, and take it seriously. It is highly unusual for a pig to miss a meal. Pigs are social animals, and if a pig is by itself, something may be wrong. Pigs should not be listless or uninvolved in the things going on. The more you watch your herd, the more you will get a good feel for how your pigs behave when they are healthy and feeling good, and the sooner you will recognize when something is wrong with them.

Your pig supplies should include a basic first aid kit for your pigs. This kit should contain many of the same items that you would include in a first aid kit for your family, such as triple antibiotic ointment, iodine, alcohol, styptic powder, bismuth subsalicylate, and similar treatments. It should also contain a rectal thermometer. You can use a rectal thermometer to take your pig’s temperature if you are concerned that the pig may have a fever. The normal temperature for a pig is 102.5 and anything over 103 degrees can be considered a fever. If your pig does have a fever, it can help you identify if your pig is ill and which disease it may have.

Diarrhea or scours is a frequent symptom of diseases in pigs. If your pig has diarrhea, it may become dangerous quickly, particularly to young animals because they can become dehydrated. You can add electrolytes to your pig’s water and encourage it to drink to help it. You can purchase powdered electrolytes to mix in your pig’s water, or you can purchase a substance such as Pedialyte® liquid. Try to get your pig to drink enough to replace the fluids it has lost, which may be quite a lot of fluid. In a pinch, you can use sports energy drinks with electrolytes. Try to quickly determine what is causing your pig’s diarrhea, and call your veterinarian for help in case it is something serious.

Diseases

Here are some of the most common pig diseases and their symptoms:

Atrophic rhinitis: Atrophic rhinitis is an illness that infects young pigs and leads to physical deformity. The cause is presumed to be germs that enter the mucus membranes of the nose. Nose to nose contact infects one animal to another, until the entire litter is sick. Symptoms usually do not show up until piglets are 3 weeks old. There is usually no fever, but the pigs have sneezing and a discharge from the eyes, along with inflamed mucous membranes. The most noticeable symptom is an acute irritation of the nose, which makes the pigs rub their noses against anything they can find. The disease eventually will affect the bones of the snout and deform them. The face will gradually become misshapen and the bones around the face and nose may disintegrate. The snout may become very noticeably curved along the side. Young pigs are prone to pneumonia with rhinitis. Up to 30 percent of pigs with atrophic rhinitis may die. Testing is available to identify carriers of atrophic rhinitis, and it is recommended that new animals be tested before they join your herd to prevent them from passing this disease along to your pigs.

The breeding herd should be vaccinated against the disease. It may take up to four months for immunity to develop. Use sulfa drugs to medicate sows through their feed from the time they enter the farrowing site until they wean their piglets. Inject piglets with amoxycillin on days three, ten, and 15 while they are nursing, and inject them again at weaning time with a long-lasting antibiotic. Continue this method of vaccination for at least two months until all of your sows have been vaccinated. Give sows a booster vaccine two to three weeks before each subsequent farrowing.

This sickness can carry on through quite a few litters if it is left untreated. Inoculating farrowing sows will help prevent it, but rhinitis management has to be done on a continuous basis.

Brucellosis: Brucellosis manifests itself in aborted litters, arthritis in sows, and inflamed testicles in the boar. Brucellosis can be passed through feed contaminated with urine, manure, or other discharges from affected pigs. It also can be passed through shared water. Brucellosis is sexually transmitted, so if you are breeding your sow to an outside boar, you will need to ask for proof that the boar has been tested recently for brucellosis. If an infected sow does have a litter, she will pass the disease along to the nursing pigs in her milk. The only treatment for brucellosis is to remove animals from the herd and to disinfect the entire area. If the entire herd is affected, the only reliable way to prevent the spread of the disease is to destroy the herd. It is required by law in some areas because it is a matter of public health. Many states require certification that pigs are brucellosis free before allowing them to be shipped into their area. You can check with your veterinarian or your county extension service agent to see if brucellosis testing is required in your area before shipping.

Hog cholera/African swine fever: At one time hog cholera, or classical swine fever, was one of the most deadly of all swine diseases. There is no treatment for hog cholera. The symptoms include a high fever, lack of appetite, diarrhea, and coma leading to death. It is extremely contagious. However, there have been no outbreaks of hog cholera in the United States since 1976. Officials remain vigilant. African swine fever resembles hog cholera, and it is present in the United States. Any pig that displays a high fever should be isolated to prevent contagion.

African swine fever has symptoms that are very similar to hog cholera. Lab tests usually are needed to be able to distinguish African swine fever from hog cholera. Otherwise, the virus exhibits the same sudden onset. Pigs may be found suddenly dead. Pigs may have high fever, lack of appetite, and seem listless. The pig may show red or blue areas on its chest or stomach and on its extremities. There is diarrhea, problems breathing, vomiting, and miscarriage in pregnant sows. When these symptoms occur, virtually all pigs exhibiting them will die within one week. If a pig does recover, it will be a carrier for the virus throughout its life.

African swine fever is spread from one pig to another. There is no effective treatment or vaccine at this time. When African swine fever appears in a herd, it is essential to slaughter the herd immediately before the virus can spread to other farms. Otherwise, the entire pig population is at risk. Everything on the farm must be cleaned and disinfected, or discarded. A quarantine or isolation zone may be set up around the area to see if other farms may show signs of the illness.

Parvovirus: Parvovirus is believed to be widely present in pig herds. It does not have noticeable outward symptoms or cause death in mature animals. Instead, parvovirus results in reproductive problems. Parvovirus infection can lead to miscarriages in the sow between day 12 and 20 after breeding and a delay coming in season for rebreeding. Once infected, the sow can continue to lose litters and be slow to come in season, or to come in heat again for rebreeding. There is no treatment for pigs with parvovirus.

There is a vaccination against parvovirus. Buying disease-free pigs from established farmers who have no reproductive problems is another safeguard. You also can maintain a closed herd, meaning that you do not bring in new pigs that could pass along diseases to your pigs. If you do have new pigs, it is best to pen your current gilts and dry (unbred) sows near them a few weeks before breeding. This way they can be exposed to any potential viruses or germs before breeding and develop antibodies. Later, after breeding, it would be more dangerous to incubate any new virus because it would cause a loss of the embryos. The gilts and sows then will be able to pass their antibodies to parvovirus or any other viruses along to their piglets. You can then have the piglets vaccinated for parvovirus when they are a few weeks old. Keeping your gilts and sows up-to-date on their vaccinations is always recommended.

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS): Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, or PRRS, has a host of symptoms and is sometimes confused with pseudorabies. PRRS affects the pig’s lungs, which leads to reduced oxygen levels. There is a high fever, loss of appetite, coughing, and breathing problems. There also can be reproductive problems, such as late-term abortions for pregnant sows. At the moment, there is no treatment for PRRS but veterinarians may treat the pig with antibiotics to prevent or lessen secondary infections. There is a vaccine for PRRS, but it seems to be only moderately successful against the virus. There are research efforts to make a more effective vaccine.

Pseudorabies (mad itch): Pseudorabies symptoms include paralysis, fever, coma, and death. Among adult pigs, the symptoms include the telltale “mad itch,” which can make the pig rub itself raw before dying. Pseudorabies is contagious and is caused by the herpes virus. Most states require testing for this disease as it is easily spread to other farm animals and causes death. When it initially shows up on a farm, the symptoms are manifested in high numbers of miscarriages and weak pigs.

There is a vaccination for pseudorabies, but it is only available in states where pseudorabies is considered widespread. The vaccine does not prevent pseudorabies; it only prevents the symptoms from manifesting. The United States declared pseudorabies eradicated from the commercial pig sector in 2004, but the disease is still found among the feral pig population. Pseudorabies is a legally reportable disease: if it appears in your herd, you must report it to your veterinarian and health officials. The disease may be transmitted to other animals, and they may display symptoms similar to rabies though pseudorabies is not related to rabies. Incinerating the carcass may be necessary after a pig dies from pseudorabies.

Swine dysentery: Swine dysentery may be identified by diarrhea, particularly bloody diarrhea. It is most common in the Midwest among larger pork producers. The disease affects the large intestine in pigs. It is acute, coming on quickly and rapidly escalating. It is also fatal. So far, there has not been much success with a vaccine for swine dysentery. The disease is usually traceable to sales barns or to people who have tracked manure from an infected farm on their shoes. It can affect any pigs, but it most often affects young growing pigs. Pigs picking up or eating manure from a sick pig or a pig carrying the disease usually spread it. If your feeder pigs contract swine dysentery, it is not unusual to lose up to 20 percent of your herd. The pigs that survive will likely have stunted growth and may do poorly. There are currently no specific cures for swine dysentery. The best way to stop it is to keep it from coming to your farm. Practice good hygiene, quarantine new pigs, and ask visitors to wear plastic over their shoes to prevent the spread of disease.

Swine erysipelas: Swine erysipelas is a bacterial disease that usually occurs in young pigs between 3 and 12 months old. Swine erysipelas can be fatal. The erysipelas bacteria live in the soil on the farm, and once the bacteria are established, they can be hard to eradicate. Infected pigs continually re-infect the soil with bacteria in their urine and manure. Symptoms of swine erysipelas can be recognized by the lesions that appear on the neck, ears, shoulder, and stomach of the pig. They are usually red and form a diamond shape, but the lesions may range from pink to purple. Once the skin lesions appear, the pig may die in two to four days. Milder forms of the disease do not cause death, but the pig’s temperature may spike up to 108 degrees, which can lead to dehydration and harm to internal organs. Penicillin is used to treat swine eryisipelas. If you suspect your pigs have swine erysipelas, you should contact your veterinarian. You will need to discuss ways to eradicate the bacteria from your farm so your pigs are not re-infected.

The type of bacteria that causes swine erysipelas is always present on pig farms. It is in the soil, carried by other animals, and present in the tonsils of pigs. There is little you can do to remove it from your farm. However, there are contributing factors that may make swine erysipelas more likely to appear in your pigs. You may see a surge in swine erysipelas if you have encountered any of the following on your farm:

• You have wet and dirty pigpens.

• You give your pigs wet feed, especially if you feed milk byproducts.

• Your pig house constantly has pigs living in it without a chance to air out for a few weeks or months.

• Your waterers carry the bacteria.

• Your pigs are otherwise ill or stressed.

• There are sudden changes in temperature with a fast onset of summer weather.

• You make drastic changes in your pigs’ diets.

You may not be able to do much about changes in temperature or summer weather, but you can see to it that your pens are clean, and you can control your pigs’ diet, among other things. Try to take care of some of these conditions, and you may keep swine erysipelas from appearing.

Transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE): Transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) is one of the most serious diseases found among pigs. It is found mainly in the Midwest among large pig producers. The virus acts rapidly and causes changes in the intestinal lining, which results in a large loss of fluids. All pigs can be affected, but it is most harmful to piglets younger than 2 weeks old. The fatality rate among piglets of this age may be as much as 100 percent. Symptoms in young piglets include watery diarrhea and rapid dehydration. The disease is highly contagious, and if one litter is infected, other litters might be infected quickly. Older pigs have a better chance of survival, but they will shed the virus in their manure for months after their recovery. Vaccinations may be effective, but the disease spreads so rapidly they are often too late to work. The best way to combat TGE is to practice isolating new pigs when they are brought to the farm and to insist that any visitors wear plastic over their shoes to prevent them from tracking germs from other places to your farm.

Parasites

Parasites are an ever-present fact of life on a pig farm. They live in the soil, and they are easily transmitted to your pigs when they root. Parasites are also found in bedding, passed from pig to pig, and exist in manure. Even the cleanest farms with the most well-cared-for pigs most likely will have animals with some parasites. In dealing with parasites, the trick is to keep them to a minimum, so they do not overwhelm your pig’s immune system and cause it to become ill or weaken it so it becomes the target of an opportunistic disease. Parasites can be internal or external.

Internal parasites

Pigs can be subject to a number of different worms such as ascarids, round worms, whip worms, kidney worms, lung worms, muscle worms, nodular worms, pork bladder worms (also known as the human tapeworm), red stomach worms, stomach hair worms, thick stomach worms, thorny headed worms, and thread worms. Worms can exist in the lungs, the kidneys, the stomach, the liver, and even on the skin.

Being subject to so many different kinds of worms means there is no one method of worming (wormers are called anthelmintics) that will kill all of the worms or prevent infestation. If your pigs are carrying lots of worms, then treating them generally requires a rotational worming program.

There are four basic products used for worming: doramectin, fenbendazole, ivermectin, and levamisole. Although all of these products are good, one product used alone each time can cause the worms to build up a tolerance, and it will not effectively reduce the worms your pigs are carrying. In a rotational worming program, a different kind of wormer is used each month until the internal parasites are brought down to a lower number. Once worms are not a serious issue anymore, you can change to worming your pigs once every six months.

In most cases, you will not be able to tell that your pigs have worms unless they carry a heavy infestation of parasites, but pay attention to your pigs’ physical condition. If your pigs are coughing, losing muscle tone or body weight, showing bad skin, have diarrhea, or show blood in their feces, they might have worms. With a heavy infestation, they may shed worms in their manure. At other times, your only sign may be that they are not gaining weight properly. Any time your pigs seem to be doing poorly without an obvious reason, consider whether they might have worms. It is a good idea to have your veterinarian test your herd for worms on a routine basis to see what their status is and if you need to adjust your worming protocols.

Worm medicine can be given to your pigs in various ways, including injections, topically, or in the feed and water. Topical application is usually the least effective of these methods because pigs have a tougher skin, and they do not absorb things through it easily. Taking medication orally usually works well as long as the medication is not being wasted in lost feed. You will need to determine the proper dosage to give each pig based on its age and weight.

Good pen and pasture management will also allow you to reduce the parasite load. Rotate pens and pastures when possible and allow them to sit empty for several months. This will kill off many of the parasites because they will not find a host. Sunlight will do a great deal to sterilize the soil and make it clean again. When pigs are using pens, clean them out regularly so parasites from the manure do not linger and move into the ground.

External parasites

Pigs are also subject to several external parasites, which include lice and mites (which cause mange), ticks, mosquitoes, and flies. Various insecticides are used to rid pigs of these pests, some of them made specifically for swine. You will need to read labels carefully to understand the precautions and apply them only as directed. Some insecticides have pre-slaughter intervals, which means you will not be able to use them within a certain time before slaughtering your pigs. Otherwise the chemicals in the insecticides might remain in the meat when slaughtered. Make sure you have read the label and understand this information.

Treatments for various external parasites can be applied in different ways. There are sprays, dips, pour-ons, and feed additives. Some of the treatments are aimed at treating the pigs’ indoor living area. Again, make sure you read the label carefully and apply the product properly, or it will not work effectively.

Tips for disease prevention

There are many things farmers can do to prevent disease and illness on their farms and keep their pigs healthy.

Isolation

If you have an already-established herd and you are bringing in new pigs, it is in the best interests of your pigs to isolate the newcomers for two to three months when they arrive. They should be kept at least 100 yards away from where your current pigs are to ensure the new pigs will not spread any diseases to your herd. It will give your new pigs time to adjust to life in their new surroundings. If you turn them lose into the same pen as your current pigs, you will cause your pigs a great deal of stress, and it will most likely lead to aggression and fighting. Give your new pigs time to settle in while you observe them for any signs of illness.

If you are bringing sows to your farm for breeding to your boar, they should arrive several weeks before breeding so you can monitor them. They will need time to accustom themselves to their surroundings. Some sows might go out of season temporarily when they are moved to a new farm, though they probably will come back in season quickly if the boar is in a nearby pen. Allow the sows and the boar to become used to each other from a distance. If the visiting sows have a few weeks on your farm, they will have time to develop antibodies to any viruses on your farm and will build up immunity before breeding.

Finally, it is a good idea to have an isolation pen or a small pig house where you can keep a sick pig. When one of your pigs does become ill, you will need to remove it from the other pigs immediately both so you can treat it, and so it will not have a chance to keep infecting the other pigs. Whatever you use, remember that it is vital to clean the area with a good detergent before you try to disinfect it. It will do no good to disinfect an area that still has debris or fecal matter in the floor. If you are cleaning an open area, you may wish to consider using a pressure washer, especially if you have been handling pigs with viruses.

Vaccination

Vaccinations can be a good way to protect your pigs against diseases, but it is not recommended that you try to vaccinate your pigs against every possible swine disease. There are too many diseases and vaccines and most of the diseases will never occur where you live. It is not sensible to stress your pig’s immune system with unnecessary vaccines. It is not cost-effective to vaccinate your pigs against diseases that do not exist where you live, either.

Hygiene

Good hygiene is one of the most important ways you can promote good health for your pigs. In addition to taking care of your pens and keeping your farm clean, it is important for you to consider how other people and farms affect your pigs.

Before you purchase a new pig, the seller should provide you with a certificate of health signed by a veterinarian. You even may wish to have your own veterinarian examine the pigs. This is recommended if you are purchasing purebred pigs or breeding stock. It is worth spending the extra money in these cases to make sure the pigs are healthy and fit for breeding. These extra steps can prevent you from bringing pigs to your farm that may spread disease.

No matter where you obtain a new pig, remember to isolate the pig or pigs for a short time when you bring them home. Pigs do not like to be alone, so it is best if you buy more than one pig at a time. However, it is better if you buy from only one source. When people come to visit, have them put plastic booties over their shoes. Alternatively, they could step in a pan of bleach to kill germs on their shoes. Or you could discourage visitors to your farm, especially if you have a young litter of piglets. You may want to take this route if you have a litter less than 2 weeks old, which is when piglets are vulnerable. Tell people they can see the piglets when they are a little older.

When to call in the vet

If you are just starting out raising pigs, it is a good idea to try to find a large animal veterinarian before you purchase animals. To find a large animal veterinarian in your area, you can look in your yellow pages, check online, or ask other farmers to recommend one to you. You can check the website for the American Veterinary Medical Association (www.avma.org/statevma) for veterinarians in your area, but not all veterinarians belong to that organization. Find one, talk to him or her, and invite him or her to visit your farm.

Once you bring your pigs home, you probably will need to have your veterinarian come out to perform a few vaccinations, whether they are grower pigs or pigs that you are preparing for breeding. Most veterinarians like to visit a herd when it is healthy, so they can size it up. This gives them something to use as a baseline in case they need to visit when some of your animals are sick. They also can talk to you about preventive care and get to know you better. Having a good relationship with your veterinarian is important for both you and your vet.

If you have a sick animal, it is important that you do not wait too long to call the vet. Although there is no need to call the vet every time your pig sneezes, it is important for you to know your animals well enough to know when something is wrong. If your pig has a fever or diarrhea, it is probably a good idea for you to call the vet, especially when you are not experienced at raising pigs. If the vet says there is nothing to be worried about, you will feel better. And if it is a serious illness, the vet will know how to treat it. As you become more experienced in raising pigs, you may be able to distinguish a serious swine disease from one that is not so serious, but when you are just beginning, it is best to err on the side of caution instead of risking your herd.

Breeding Pigs

Everyone loves a happy ending, but placing a gilt and boar together is no guarantee that they will produce piglets. Environment, health, stress, and diet play as big a role in successful breeding as having a viable couple. Whether you plan to breed right away or over time, it is important to understand how the reproductive system works in order to maximize the chance of healthy piglets.

Purchasing a pregnant sow is an alternative way of starting a herd if you want to avoid the time and headache of matching a gilt and boar. This process works, but it is impossible to estimate an outcome for the litter.

Taking care of the litter begins long before a pregnancy starts. A healthy diet, stress-free atmosphere, and proper care of the sow before, during, and after pregnancy are the keys to continued healthy pig production. The better the effort you put into the overall breeding program, the better your results will be.

Case Study: Keeping The Girls Happy

Noni Mammatt

Australia

Noni Mammatt has been raising pigs in Australia for 16 years. She began with a sow that farrowed a month later and presented her with 15 piglets. Through many twists and turns over the years, Mammatt has come to have a current operation of 130 sows. She has had as many as 400 sows and says that she will probably have about 500 sows again soon, along with a large number of grower pigs. Mammatt’s focus is selling mated or bred gilts.

Mammatt says she raises pigs for several reasons. “I like the animal immensely and the habits and their curiosity aspect. If other people like pigs the way I do, then yes, they should grow them. They are not like sheep and cattle. They come for a look instead of running away.”

Mammatt suggests that others can get started raising pigs the same way she has done. “Do as I have done and get one that is mated and a few smaller gilts and a small boar and give it a go. A little reading might be a good idea beforehand. Borrow books from the library and from older members of the pig industry. You also get some verbal experience from these people on how to feed and what to add when making up your own feeds and how to keep them warm and dry and lean for market.”

Mammatt prefers to keep her pigs outdoors. “I run my pigs all outdoors... I have done this for 16 years. I have them in paddocks, and they are given grain. They also have access to pasture when the paddock is locked up for the season and this is free feed so to speak. The pasture is only around knee high, so there is plenty of protein in the feed, which will last a good amount — for 25 to 30 sows around five to six weeks of feed.

“I like the idea of outdoor production as it is a healthy way to produce pigs. It is also a cheaper option than building an indoor unit.”

Mammatt says she raises several breeds, along with one of her own creation. “ I raise large whites, Hampshire, Berkshires, Landrace, Duroc, and red saddles, which are a little different from the norm. These are a breed of my own, which I have slowly developed, and I am now getting pure litters coming through. They are quiet, produce plenty of milk, have good numbers, do not seem to lose too much condition while they carry their young, and make great mothers as well as fosters. Are good to handle, also.”

She says she feeds wheat, barley, and lupins to her sows via a selection of diets formulated by a nutritionist. “I then only have to follow what is given to me and add the grain that is on the diet. I have experimented a little with feeds as well. I give hay for bedding, and the sows consume some of this as well. The growers also eat hay, and this helps them digest the grain feed.”

As for tips on raising pigs, Mammatt said, “The old timers who used to grow pigs back when I was not around would feed their pigs beer if they saw a sow with problems during labor. This quieted the old girl down.”

Mammatt offers these last words about how she raises her pigs: “Being small producers, we probably do things a little differently than our indoor counterparts. I grow with huts to keep them dry and shaded and ring lock and barb and a hot wire to keep my girls in their paddocks. I use sprinkler systems around the piggery for their wallows. I use nipple drinkers for them to drink out of, and for the growers I use both a trough and a nipple drinker. I feed the girls on the ground, and I feed my growers in self-feeders. I have a lane way to move pigs around in. I weigh my pigs in a shed to keep the water out of the scales and the hot sun from beating down on the pigs and me. I have a chappy who brings his truck to my place to load pigs and take them to market.”

Choosing Your Breeders

Once you have decided what your breeding goals for the future are, you will be able to choose your pigs for breeding better. If you are just starting out, and you are not yet familiar with the other pig farmers in your area, talk to your veterinarian, your feed store owner, and your county extension services agent about good local pig breeders. If you plan to purchase purebred pigs, check with your breed association for help in locating the nearest breeders. You also can visit breeder auctions and sale barns to find gilts and boars for sale.

When you start to look for your breeding stock, there are some important things to keep in mind:

• Start planning well in advance. If you have gilts or sows ready to breed, do not wait until the last minute to look for a boar for them. You will have a better selection of breeding partners if you begin searching early.

• Study pig genetics and pedigrees. Pedigrees are particularly important if you will be raising purebred hogs.

• No pig is perfect, not even yours. There is always room for improvement in each generation. Try to choose a boar for your gilt or sow with the goal of improving some things about her.

• When you visit another farmer’s farm to look at gilts or sows for sale or to look over a boar for breeding, ask if you can see as many relatives as possible. It is always a good idea to see parents, offspring, siblings, and other closely related animals. You are not just buying a sow or gilt, you are buying their genetic contribution to your own herd.

• When you visit another farm with the purpose of looking at breeding stock, make sure you ask plenty of questions. Ask how the pigs are being raised, what they eat, if they have had any diseases, how they have been wormed, if they were bred naturally or by artificial insemination (AI), and anything else you think is pertinent.

• You will want to keep your eyes open and observe the farm. Is it well kept? Do the pigs seem happy? Mud and manure are normal parts of hog raising, but you will want to make sure any pig you buy for breeding comes from a farm that is not prone to disease. You will want to make sure the pigs you buy have not been stressed unduly because this could affect their fertility.

• Finally, try to obtain breeding stock that comes from a farm similar to yours. It is easier for pigs to adapt to a new place if they will be going to a farm that is operated using the same methods.

Your eyes should be able to tell you if the gilts or sows are in good flesh. As with young pigs, gilts and sows for breeding should have bright eyes and be lively, with no signs of illness. You should select the largest, most well-developed gilts available. If you are breeding purebred pigs, you will need to know more about the correct conformation for your breed but, in general, a good gilt will have a good body capacity — in other words, she will be long and wide in the middle. This will give her plenty of room to carry a large litter of piglets. She should have at least six pairs of evenly spaced mammary glands. She should have a somewhat level topline or spine along the top of her back, which will contribute to staying physically sound. Her hooves should be big and well formed. Ideally, your gilt or sow will have large hams as well.

The trend today is toward longer, leaner pigs instead of the cobby or rounded pigs often seen in the past. Pork today is about 30 percent leaner than it was in the 1950s due to selection for leaner pigs and different body types. It compares favorably with chicken and beef in terms of calories and fat.

The female reproductive system

The female pig reproductive system consists of a right and left ovary, one cervix, uterus, oviduct, vagina, and vulva. The internal sexual reproductive organs are located beneath the rectum in the abdomen. They are supported internally by a strong connective tissue that thickens during pregnancy.

The ovaries are at the center of pig reproduction. They provide the hormones and eggs, making reproduction possible. The pituitary gland in the brain stimulates the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) into action. These hormones are responsible for stimulating reproduction in the female pig.

The follicles, the hair-like structures that cover the surface of the ovaries, are stimulated to produce an egg with these hormones. Although there are thousands of follicles, a normal female will only produce ten to 20 eggs at one time. The eggs are released at estrus, which is the time that the female is receptive to the boar. Test this by pushing down firmly on the backside of the female. If she “stands” in a breeding position, then she is in true estrus.

Fertilization of the eggs happens in the tube that connects the uterus and ovaries. This tube is called the oviduct. It carries the sperm in one direction and the eggs the other way. They meet at the halfway point, called the ampulla. It is better to have sperm waiting for the eggs because the egg can only be fertilized within 12 hours of its release. The sperm needs to be introduced by natural or artificial means to the female once it is determined that she is in estrus.

Before breeding, make sure that your gilt or sow is current on vaccinations that are usually given in your area. It is best to consult with your veterinarian or county extension services agent to find out which vaccinations are recommended where you live. There is no need to stress a gilt or sow by giving her unnecessary vaccinations. At the same time, it is important to provide her as much immunity as possible to the diseases in your area so she can pass that immunity along to her newborns.

The male reproductive system

The boar’s reproductive system is composed of the penis, the two testicles, the scrotum that covers the testicles, the urethra, and the vas deferens. Although the penis and the scrotum are the most visible parts of the male reproductive system, the vas deferens and the urethra, which are unseen, are important in moving sperm from the testes to the penis and delivering the sperm during reproduction.

The vas deferens is a muscular tube that lies above and behind the testes, close to the urethra. During mating, the vas deferens helps propel the sperm in the testicles up into the urethra. From the urethra, the sperm can be ejaculated out of the penis and into the sow’s vagina. The testicles rest inside the scrotum or scrotal sac. The sac is a thin, muscular skin that is flexible. It has fibroelastic tissue inside. The sac keeps the testicles at a steady temperature to aid in sperm production and to provide protection for the sensitive testicles.

Male sperm production is a continuing process. As groups of sperm cells leave the testicles, new sperm cells are produced to take their place. They are stored in the scrotum to mature for up to seven weeks. A constant replacement process ensures a healthy male always has available sperm. Stress from a difficult living environment, poor diet, excessive heat, and illness will greatly reduce the sperm count in a male. Rectifying these situations in a short amount of time will help the male recover sperm count quickly. Long-term stress permanently reduces sperm counts.

The benefit of the male reproductive system is it is visible to the eye. Problems such as abnormal swellings, damaged penis, and size variance in testes are obvious. This makes shopping for a boar that much easier.

Building Your Herd

Building a herd is easily achieved through a variety of methods. You do not necessarily have to purchase a gilt and a boar and start a herd from scratch. Thoroughly researching the local market should turn up pig farmers who are willing to sell pregnant sows. The drawback to this method is in not knowing if the genetics are as stated. There is also a question of diet and stress levels on the pregnant sow. A veterinary check can suggest whether the sow is healthy overall, but it still can leave questions as to the long-term care she has received both before and after being impregnated. Ask for references when embarking on this type of herd building.

It is best to buy more than one sow from the same farmer when possible. Buying several sows from different farms will subject the sows and piglets to germs that they are not used to. Pregnancy and birth are not great times to take the chance of introducing illness to your herd. Do not transition the pregnant sow to a new type of food. Make sure you have the same type of food on hand that she is currently eating. Dietary stress will show in weight loss, poor milk production, and the possibility of miscarriage.

Avoid purchasing gilts that are first-time moms. The stress of a first pregnancy compounded by a change in residence might cause the female to become aggressive to the piglets when they are born. The survival rate for these piglets is slim without intervention. This adds to the variable mortality rate that already exists for first-time litters.

Traditional breeding is sometimes dangerous for the gilt. Overly aggressive boars can kill a young female. Mixing a little traditional breeding along with purchasing already pregnant sows will give you a chance to develop good pairs without compromising initial herd growth.

Feeding for Breeding

A good diet is a major factor in maintaining the health of your breeding hogs. Optimum breeding performance only can happen if the hogs are healthy and happy. Developing good feeding habits that your pigs can depend on will produce good results.

The healthy function of the pig’s reproductive system depends on good genetics and good food. Though there is limited control over genetics, you are in the driver’s seat when it comes to food. Read the ingredients of any food before feeding it to your herd. Feeds that contain nearly all fat-building ingredients are not the best to offer. There needs to be a balance of protein building blocks to promote healthy gestation.

The more litters produced annually, the higher the toll on the health of the sow. Feeding for pig breeding involves much more than daily sustenance. It is just as important to consider replenishing nutrients that are drained in producing each litter of pigs.

Gestation

The average length of gestation for sows is 114 days. During this time, the sow should be fed 4 to 6 pounds of quality mixed food per day. Weight gain is necessary at this time to prepare for feeding the piglets. Avoid commercial foods that add antimicrobials, as they are passed on to the piglets through the milk. A better solution to illness prevention is to feed the sow a healthy mixture of mixed grains, alfalfa, red clover hay, and table scraps. The added minerals and vitamins will build the immune system and create nutrient-rich milk for the piglets.

Roughly 50 percent of the diet should consist of mixed grain. Too much alfalfa or table scraps will cause loose stools. This can lead to dehydration issues and affect the milk production. Field grazing is encouraged as long as it is not close to her due date. Maintain the 7 pounds per day of food along with the grazing. The energy expended will cancel out the calories taken in.

Dietary modifications

Modifications or manipulations of the diet are made frequently in an effort to boost the number of pigs per litter. Temporary reduction in food intake four to six weeks before mating can raise the piglet number by one or two per litter. This is a remarkable number over the entire breeding career of a sow.

The normal feeding routine calls for 6 pounds of feed per day. The food intake should be brought to 7 pounds per day once pregnancy is achieved with an added pound per piglet once she is nursing. Dietary restrictions during gestation will cause harm to the litter and the sow. An increased diet after pregnancy will ensure plenty of rich milk for the newborns to drink. The diet can return to the normal 6 pounds per day once the piglets have been weaned, provided the sow is in good shape. Make sure she is fit before breeding again.

Keeping the sow happy

A happy sow is a healthy and well-adjusted sow. Pigs enjoy clean and comfortable surroundings. Good food and a clean water source are musts when attempting to breed. All water troughs should be filled with clean water daily. The food should be placed in troughs or self-feeders that are easily accessible. The less she feels she needs to “fight” for her food, the happier she will be.

Using high-quality foods is important. This does not always mean the most expensive. There are actually brands of high quality that do not cost a fortune. Nor does it mean feeding your pigs swill or garbage. It is important for you to learn what is in the food you feed your pigs and to buy nutritious food for a fair price. It is worth the investment to grow a healthy herd. However, you may feed your pigs healthy food scraps from your own kitchen or vegetables from your garden. Your pigs will enjoy them.

Adding bran to the feed in the week leading up to the birth of a litter will help boost the comfort level of the sow. Constipation is not only bothersome, but it can cause fetal distress to the piglets at birth. It is best to avoid those problems altogether. A nutrient-rich diet during pregnancy and suckling keeps the sow healthy. Avoiding large drops in weight during this process reduces stress on her both emotionally and physically. She will be more likely to take her time when feeding piglets if she is not experiencing hunger pains herself.

Farrowing

No matter how many piglet deliveries you experience, there is always excitement in the air when a new litter is on the way. Farrowing, or giving birth, is a natural process that needs to be supervised closely. This is especially true with gilts experiencing a first litter. Problems are not a common occurrence, but when they crop up, they can be serious.

There is much you can do to prepare for a safe birth. Proper quarters and comfort will go a long way in keeping stress to a minimum. Assisting the sow with the piglets as they are born will help her focus energy on finishing the farrowing process. The female should be treated both inside and outside for parasites a week or two before the farrowing begins. Parasites can wreak havoc on the health of newborn piglets. Your veterinarian can provide internal parasite controls that are safe for pregnant pigs. If you are raising your pigs organically or trying to avoid chemicals, you will need to use something along the lines of garlic or rosemary as a wormer, though these herbs may not get rid of all of your sow’s worms. If you plan to use a stronger natural wormer, consult with a holistic practitioner to make sure you do not use anything that could harm the piglets. You will need to control external parasites on and around your pigs by keeping their bedding changed, removing manure frequently, and treating for any pests bothering your pigs with either natural or chemical methods.

The human presence is vital in making sure the piglets are breathing and feeding and that the sow does not crush them due to confusion and pain. Mark the expected farrowing date on a calendar, and make plans to be around. It will be a wonderful experience you will not want to miss.

Preparing a farrowing site

Small pig raisers typically create a small pen for the farrowing female. If you plan to use a small pen, thoroughly clean and disinfect the area before use. Steam cleaning and spraying the pen down with a disinfectant spray will suffice. It needs to shine all the way down to the metal or wood. Add a 3- to 4-inch layer of straw bedding to create a comfortable place for the sow to rest while giving birth. Set aside a corner area with a heat lamp to place the pigs as they are born. The goal is to try to maintain a draft-free ambient temperature of 80 degrees. This will be comfortable for both mother and babies.

You need to place the sows in the farrowing pen about a week before the due date. This will give their system time to gain immunity against any unfamiliar germs. She will then pass these immunities on to the piglets. Grab every advantage you can get. Design the pen so you have plenty of light to see what is going on. Emergencies will require quick action on your part. Easy access to the pen is essential.

Signs of labor

Pig breeders are able to make a close estimate as to when piglets are due, but at times, the sow can deliver early or late. Here are some of the signs to look for:

• Restless movement: At the onset of labor, the sow becomes restless. She cannot seem to find a comfortable position. She frequently will alternate between lying down, standing, and pacing the pen.

• Swollen teats: The mammary glands will swell as they fill with milk to feed the piglets.

• Nest-building behaviors: It will seem as if she is trying to prepare the area for the piglets. This involves moving the straw, scratching at the floor, and circling.

• Vaginal discharge: There will be a slight amount of vaginal discharge during hard labor. If it has a strong, putrid odor, contact your veterinarian.

• Slightly elevated temperature: Use of a rectal thermometer will confirm if the temperature has gone up. A slight fever is normal during delivery. The normal temperature for a pig is 101.5 to 102.5 F.

• Circling and sniffing: Increased amounts of circling in the pen and sniffing at her backside are strong indicators that birth is imminent.

Remove and wipe down the piglets as she delivers them. Place them near the teat once she has settled down to avoid injuring the piglet. Check the temperature after farrowing. If the temperature remains elevated to 104 degrees or higher, you will need to contact the veterinarian.

Signs of trouble in labor

The normal time for delivery of piglets is one every 20 minutes. Gilts take slightly longer because they are less experienced with giving birth. Prolonged labor tires the female. All of the following problems will require some type of intervention:

1. Three or four hours of labor with no results when it has become obvious the sow is experiencing a great deal of pain or pushing. This most likely indicates there is a piglet in breech position or a dead piglet blocking the birth canal.

2. Foul-smelling or bloody vaginal discharge

3. A partially visible baby that is blue in appearance and has not exited after some time

If this is your first experience with a farrowing emergency, it is best to call the veterinarian for assistance. Self-intervention can be attempted, but you must make sure to give the sow a shot of antibiotic afterward. No matter how clean your hands and arms are, the chance of infection remains high.

• Clean the vulva with antibacterial solution to avoid introducing germs to the birth canal.

• Clip and clean your fingernails before assisting with the births.

• Scrub your hands and arms with antimicrobial solution. Clean them up to the elbows.

• Lubricate the hand and arm you will be using. Dish soap will work if nothing else is available.

• Bring all of the fingers and thumb together to a point and insert into the vulva. Enter slowly as the sow will be in fair amount of pain. Reach all the way to the area of obstruction.

• Grab the piglet by the head, if possible. Pull it carefully toward you. Work with the muscle contractions to avoid hurting the sow more than necessary.

• If the piglet is in breech position, firmly grab the back legs and slowly pull the piglet out.

Post-farrowing matters

The first 12 to 24 hours after farrowing are the most critical for the sow and for the newborns. Infection and stress-related problems will make themselves apparent within this time. Monitoring the progress of the piglets and the mother several times a day is important. The earlier problems are detected, the easier they are to fix.

The sow’s diet will need to be increased slowly to avoid digestive problems. The sow’s appetite gradually will pick up as she continues to nurse. The larger the litter, the more food she will need. One of the important goals of post-farrowing care is retaining the health and vigor of the female to make rebreeding possible.

Caring for the sow

The sow will be relieved once farrowing is over, but you will still need to monitor her for stress, unhappiness, and signs of illness or fatigue. With a healthy delivery, she should be up and about within an hour or two. She should be made to get up and move if she seems unwilling. Listlessness and disinterest in the feeding activities of the piglets are red flags that something is wrong. Monitor for any temperature spikes, which could indicate infection. The earlier she is started on antibiotics, the more positive the outcome. Check often that her teats are releasing milk.

The sow will need to be checked often for signs of mastitis-metritis-agalactia (MMA) syndrome, which is serious and needs to be dealt with immediately. Mastitis is hardened and painful teats and can be so bad that the sow refuses to feed the babies. Metritis is an infection of the uterus. Antibiotics will be needed to clear this up before she succumbs to toxins in the blood. Agalactia is a lack of milk. A shot of oxytocin will help stimulate the milk production. Do not attempt more than two injections of 1 or 2 cubic centimeters in a day.

If the sow initially shows aggression toward the piglets, pull them out of her pen, and keep them in a warm area. Slowly reintroduce the piglets to her after she has calmed down. Her stress level and hysteria will decrease in an hour or two, and the piglets will still be able to receive the all-important colostrum feeding up to 24 hours after the birth. Consider fostering the pigs with another sow and hand-feeding colostrum if she seems unable to accept the litter. Most sows are good mothers and instinctively know what to do when their piglets are born. Any confusion or rejection is usually short term.

Some pig raisers recommend keeping the farrowing site calm and quiet before farrowing in order to soothe the sow. You may wish to play soothing music during the farrowing. Talk calmly to the sow. It also will help keep the sow calm if the person present has a good relationship with her. All of these suggestions can help sows be more relaxed during farrowing, which, in turn, makes them more accepting of their piglets. These suggestions can be particularly helpful with gilts when they are first-time mothers.

Feeding a nursing sow

Nursing sows need to increase their food intake to compensate for the nutrients lost when feeding their young. You can provide the sow with a light meal soon after farrowing. Providing the sow with 3 to 4 pounds of feed plus a can of pumpkin to induce regularity is a good idea after farrowing. You also can include any of her personal favorites, such as vegetable scraps, to get her to eat. Then, gradually build up her diet again to her pre-farrowing meal intake — 7 pounds — plus 1 pound for each piglet she is nursing. This needs to be cut to ½ pound per piglet if it is a litter with fewer than ten piglets. Adding bran to the diet post-farrowing is a common practice to avoid strain in the groin area from constipation. Constipation can be a serious problem at this stage and might make the sow stop eating or feel otherwise ill.

The food may have to be offered three times a day for her to have the time and appetite to eat it. It also depends on the appetite of the individual female. You will have to experiment. If it is hot, the sow might eat better in the early mornings or late evenings.

Fresh water should be available to the nursing sow at all times of the day and night. Producing milk requires plenty of water. The water will help prevent the sow from becoming constipated. The ultimate goal is to maintain the sow in good condition so that she can rebreed quickly after weaning.

Characteristics of Newborns

Playful and curious tend to be the overwhelmingly common descriptions regarding young pigs. Though they start small, about 3 pounds and 8 inches long, their growth rate is phenomenal. To kick the growth spurt into full drive, it requires plenty of eating and sleeping.

The piglets’ first feedings from their mother are important. These initial feedings pump in the necessary ingredients for a strong immune system, passed through the colostrum from the sow. Of course, the most natural way for young pigs to receive colostrum and the antibodies it contains is by nursing from their mother. Continued regular nursing produces a healthy pig of acceptable weight and size.

Runts of the litter are pigs that have been deprived of feedings at some level. This translates into a pig that may be more prone to illness and will never regain the growth opportunity lost. Healthy pigs are more than willing and able to nurse from the moment of birth.

The tiny stature of newborn pigs leaves them prone to injury. The most common infant fatalities are from accidental crushing by the sow. Rolling over on the newborn pigs will cause significant problems and possibly death. Maintaining an area a few feet away, complete with a heat lamp, will prevent most injuries of this type. Pig rails and creeps, or areas set aside by rails or bars where the sow cannot follow the piglets, are a common feature of many farrowing spaces in order to allow the newborns to roll away from their dam and avoid being crushed.

Sleeping is a necessary and favored activity of newborns. The body is using so much energy to grow that there is precious little left for other activity. After three weeks, they will begin exploring their environment. Pigs that isolate themselves and sleep more than the rest of the litter might be experiencing health problems.

Special needs of piglets

Do not be afraid to jump in the pen with them once they have weaned. The more you familiarize yourself with healthy young pigs, the more you will develop a keen eye to spot problems early on. They will squeal with delight to interact with you.

On a serious note, things can take a turn for the worse quickly with piglets. You must be diligent about watching for signs and symptoms of serious diseases and illnesses. Early and aggressive treatment could well be the thing that saves their lives. The following are things that need to be highly monitored or given special consideration when raising young pigs. There are warning signs when newborn pigs are in trouble, but there is often little time to act on these. Spending quality time with the litter will help you clue in on changes and problems before they reach a critical point.

Colostrum

The intake of colostrum is possibly the most vital way to ensure a pig’s survival, second only to taking in that all-important first breath. Colostrum is the sow’s first milk, produced 12 to 24 hours after giving birth. The inability of the pig to drink in this nutrient- and antibody-rich substance could spell disaster. Pigs known to not intake colostrum show rapidly declining health. Survivors are plagued by low lifetime weight and height gains. Lack of immunity to the most basic of germs and disease means the pig is susceptible to illness.

Extra colostrum can be collected and stored in frozen form. Storing it as cubes tends to be the easiest, most convenient fashion. It must be thawed before use. Boiling or microwaving colostrum will destroy the nutrients and antibodies, thus rendering it useless. If you are heating colostrum, warm it up to body temperature for the young piglets (101.5-102.5 degrees F).

You can gather or purchase alternative forms of colostrum. The best substitutes seem to be from cows and goats. The colostrum these animals produce is not quite as nutrient rich, but it will do when no other source is available. It is also possible to purchase colostrum mix from feed stores in an emergency.

Temperature

Newborns of any species enter the world with a total dependence on care. The provision of food, shelter, and a clean environment falls on the sow, as well as the pig owner. One often-overlooked ingredient for raising healthy pigs is temperature.

Temperature stress is remarkably easy to spot in young pigs but too often ignored. Piglets must be maintained in a dry, clean, comfortable environment in order to thrive. Newborns that are too hot or too cold are equally harmed. Of course, sows may be bred at any time when they come in season and have a gestation period of 114 days, which means that litters may arrive year-round. It is normal to rebreed three or four days following weaning when the sow comes in season again. This is considered an optimum time for breeding. Sows usually have two to three litters of piglets per year.

Cold pigs will pile on top of one another. A certain amount of piling is normal, but a constant bid to seek the warmth of others is a signal that the air temperature is probably too chilly. Overheated pigs will separate out from one another. This is highly unusual behavior with newborn pigs and is a red flag that there is a temperature problem. Panting and deep breathing are both indicators that they are too hot. Pigs that suffer heat stroke have a nearly 100 percent mortality rate. Touch the pigs when unsure of their comfort level. Dry, hot skin means the temperature needs to be brought down. Cold, clammy skin means the pigs are too cold and might be suffering from exposure.

Dehydration

Piglets need to suckle up to 16 times per day, so a few missed meals will quickly trigger dehydration. This leads to serious weight loss and death in the most serious cases. Providing methods of rehydration, antibiotic regimens, and temperature stabilization will save some pigs. Looking for early signs of illness can make all the difference. Dry skin, sunken eyes, watery-looking stool, and lethargic demeanor are warning signs that the pig is in trouble.

Breathing

Pigs that are struggling to breathe are involved in a life or death situation. As a pig owner, you must be proactive in ensuring you are doing all you can to resolve the issue. This book will cover the two more serious causes, but consult your veterinarian in any instance of serious medical emergency.

Long, intense labor will stress a newborn. The extent is unclear until the birthing process is complete. If the pig is not breathing, open the mouth and clear out any mucus that might be clogging the airway using your fingers. Remove any remaining sack membrane covering the baby pig, and gently pull them up by the back legs. Swing them slowly between your legs in a pendulum motion. This will drain any remaining mucous and fluid. Clear the nose and throat once again to allow air passage. Closely monitor any pigs that have a hard time breathing initially, as they are susceptible to pneumonia. Keeping them warm and dry will assist in their full recovery.

Anemia

Anemia is another condition that may affect a piglet’s ability to breathe. A main ingredient of red blood cells is a protein called hemoglobin. It is charged with the duty of carrying oxygen-rich blood to the cells and bringing carbon dioxide back to the lungs to be expelled. Iron is a critical part of the composition of hemoglobin. A dietary and environmental lack of iron causes serious and potentially fatal problems.

Anemia due to acute iron deficiency is capable of causing fatal breathing difficulties in young pigs. Baby pigs grow at an astounding rate. The faster a piglet with anemia grows, the more at-risk it becomes. Labored breathing or diaphragm spasms called thumps are indicative of serious anemia in pigs.

A natural fix would seem to be to add iron to the diet of the sow. Unfortunately, this does not work. Iron deficiencies have to be resolved within the individual pigs. This is not a hard task with small farms, but it could be a real problem in larger sow operations. It will make your choice of housing and containment that much more important.

Orally administering iron can be effective, but this is time-consuming and hit-or-miss. Common methods include applying an iron paste to the sow’s udders, weekly doses of iron pills, or soil added to the creep floor, though soil should be completely free of any swine parasites and eggs.

Iron injections offer more than enough protection against anemia if given in the proper form and manner. Iron-dextran or iron-dextrin complex is the best form on the market to date to treat iron deficiency anemia. The recommended dosage is one injection of 100 milligrams for pigs weaning at 3 weeks and 150 milligrams for those being weaned after 3 weeks. The shots should be given intramuscularly (in the muscle) in the ham (rear) or neck muscle. Clean the injection site well with an alcohol swab before giving the shot to avoid infection.

Health-Related Procedures

Several procedures can be done while pigs are small. These procedures should be done when the pigs are young because the younger the animal is, the less pain the pig feels during the procedure.

It cannot be stressed enough that processes such as these only should be performed by a qualified person. Use sterile equipment in good working order. Always remove the pigs from the immediate vicinity of the sow to avoid stressing her. Instinct will make her protective of her offspring.

There is no way to completely avoid stressing the pig when completing any of the procedures, but initiating them within the first 12 to 24 hours of life works best. Doing as many as possible in one session will help reduce the overall stress. Whether it is due to an immature nervous system or other factors, younger piglets seem less reactive to pain. This does not mean they do not feel pain; it means they react less to it and recuperate faster.

Many surgical procedures performed on older pigs, no matter how slight, are met with great resistance. The larger the pig, the harder they are to control. It can turn a one- or two-person activity into a multi-person challenge. It is much easier to perform these common procedures on young pigs when they are small, easy to control, and they can quickly recover.

Castration

Castration takes away the ability to produce sperm, so male pigs that are raised for breeding are naturally bypassed for this procedure. Barrows, or males raised for meat and show purposes, must be castrated in order to remove boar taint, or the foul taste of testosterone from the meat. Castrating young male pigs makes it much easier to raise them in a group until they are old enough to go to market.

Castration should always be done while the male pig is young to ensure minimal hormone output into the system. Too much hormone released into the pig’s body affects both the taste and smell of the meat. It provides a pungent odor that is not well tolerated on the market. The prices for non-castrated males versus castrated are noticeably less at sale date. Older boars are sent to market later in life, but they bring much lower prices per pound.

Even though it is considered a straightforward procedure, castration never should be attempted for the first time without the presence and assistance of a veterinarian or qualified professional. Incorrect castration will cause damage and unnecessary pain to the pig. Watching the process a few times beforehand is helpful.

• Lay the young male pig down on its side on a small hay bale.

• Have someone secure the back legs to keep them from moving.

• Make a small incision over each testicle, cutting through the scrotum. Use a sterile scalpel or castration knife for this.

• Pull each testicle free of the incision along with some of the cord. The thin cord will be visible inside the incision.

• Cut the testicle loose or pull until the cord breaks.

• Spray on a generous layer of antiseptic solution. No bandage is necessary.

Keep a close eye on the site of the castration for several days. Check for swelling, fever, discharge, or any other sign that it may not be healing properly. Keep pigs in a clean, dry stall to promote healing.

Developing hernias after castration is not uncommon, but a veterinarian should be consulted if this occurs. The problem is much too serious to self-treat. Tissue protruding through the incision or bulges is a sign that the area has herniated. The tissue will have to be pushed back into place and the incisions stitched shut.

Tail docking

Docking the tail on pigs most often ends up being a procedure based on personal farmer preference. Animal rights groups tend to vilify the process as being inhumane and unnecessary and the cause of undue stress and pain. The tail does contain bone, but in young pigs, it is a soft, gristle-like, or cartilage-fibrous consistency.

Bleeding when docking pig tails is minimal and often absent altogether. The market tends to be fickle regarding the value and desire of tail docking. Feeder pigs without docked tails may not sell at market.

Pigs that have to be fed in close confines are subject to having their tails bitten. This leads to infection or worst-case scenarios of cannibalism and death. The pig with the full tail is viewed as a liability in this case, and many farmers will pass them up without hesitation.

A whole other segment of farmer values the aesthetic over practical. Smaller farms have fewer problems with overcrowding in feeding areas, and the preference is to have the tail intact. Checking into the whims of your local market will help guide you in making the best decision for your business.

Ear notching

Notches cut into the pig’s ears are used as a means of identifying the litter and the number of said litter. When done during the first few hours after birth, the procedure seems to go virtually unnoticed by the pigs. A sharp, sterile cutting instrument should be used. Follow up using an antiseptic spray to prevent infection.

Check with your state on requirements for ear notching. Some states require this procedure for disease control and monitoring. Most pig breed registries also require ear notch identification before issuing pedigree certifications.

Navel care

The navel should be treated with an iodine solution after the birth of each piglet. Bear in mind that the navel will be in contact with the flooring and other pigs on a frequent basis. It presents an open door to infection.

Check often for inflammation or fever around the navel. The area should heal in approximately one week. Contact a veterinarian if problems arise. Infections can overtake young pigs quickly and cause death.

Wolf teeth

It will be important to don your dentistry cap and clip the eight wolf, or needle, teeth on each pig. Pigs are born with their teeth in place; these teeth are as sharp as needles and cause pain to the sow when the newborns are nursing. It may become so uncomfortable for her that she shoves the pigs away. These teeth can cause damage to littermates in the fight to suckle.

There are two on the left front and two on the right front, both top and bottom. Use a sharp pair of clippers to trim these down to the gum line. Have an extra person hold the pig and help keep the mouth open. You will need a good visual on these teeth as they are clipped. Be sure to avoid nicking the gums because the pigs will have a hard time eating with a sore mouth.

Weaning

Weaning pigs on a small farm can be done successfully by 8 weeks of age. You will start noticing the pigs beginning to munch on some of the sow’s food by roughly 6 weeks of age. Once they begin to develop a taste for solid food, you can begin setting aside an area for weaning. To reduce stress on both pigs and the sow, pick an area where neither will be able to see, hear, or smell one another.

The initial weaning holding area should be relatively small. Something in the neighborhood of 4 feet by 6 feet is adequate space for an average size litter of ten pigs. A smaller area will be more comfortable for the pigs when first being pulled away from the sow. They will pile together seeking comfort. Ensure the holding area is secure. The pigs will spend much of their free time looking for a way to get out and find the sow. Remember that fencing materials have to be designed to contain animals as small as shoats. Standard pig containment materials will have gaps wide enough for them to crawl through.

Use shallow containers of food and water when first introducing them to their new diet. They will need to be filled frequently, but pigs will not have any problems accessing the food. Add flavored gelatin to the water to encourage them to drink regularly.

Monitor the shoats closely to see that they are all eating and drinking enough. Expect a slight drop, or at least a stabilization of their weight, during the transition to the new diet. Tie any feeders open until they learn where the food is located and how the feeder operates.

Health and safety issues

Weaning healthy pigs safely should be the priority of every pig farmer. Monitoring weight, observing behavior changes, and noticing food or water intake changes may be the only clues you have of existing problems. Keeping food and water available will not be enough to transition pigs to a new way of eating. There are numerous ways to add flavoring to both food and water. Try anything that will safely work. Be persistent because malnutrition, even over short periods, affects the overall health of the pig.

Breed Registry Agencies

When purchasing or raising a litter of purebred piglets, you will want to register them with the agency handling that particular breed within 90 days of their birth. The litter certificate will need to be filled out and sent in. Include copies of the registration for the parents.

Ear notching is the method used to identify the individual piglets. If they have not had the procedure done, you should request that the breeder have it done before you take the piglet home. Lack of ear notching will nullify any paperwork you receive for registration.

Pig registration has to be done by current members of the registry organization. If you are not a current member, you will need to acquire membership or ask the breeder to complete the registration for you. The fee for registering is usually nominal, but make sure that the breeder is able to register the pig before purchase if it is an important issue to you. For example, if you raise Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace, or Yorkshire pigs, you can register them through the National Swine Registry. The cost of registering a litter that is 90 days old and under is $12 if you are an NSR member. For litters that are over 90 days old, the cost is $24 for members. Non-members can register litters, but the costs are double. If you own a boar of one of these breeds, you can have it on file with the registry. Sows and their litters can be tracked with the sow productivity program. These programs allow the organization to follow things such as the number of piglets being produced per sow, the number of piglets being weaned, and the breed’s efficiency of production as it depends on number of pigs weaned per sow.

Why is registration important?

Registering purebred swine is the only definitive method that agencies and organizations have to keep track of the pig population. It shows the current trends in pig breeding and rearing by offering true numbers regarding growth of the herd, litter sizes, and breeding successes or failures. A real picture emerges of whether advances in genetic research and development are working. The results can pinpoint problem areas that need to be worked on as an overall breed to ensure their survival.

The swine industry depends on knowledge of where pigs that enter the marketplace originate. Illness and disease can be traced easier by knowing the lineage of the hogs being sold. This helps protect both the market and the consumer. In addition, purebred pigs provide the genetic basis for commercial hybrids, which make up most of the pork production in North America, and for breed improvement. Purebred pigs also have distinct characteristics that could disappear without breeders and registries dedicated to promoting them.

Registering your purebred litter adds value to your herd. Pure bloodlines are worth much more than mixed breeds. It provides paper proof that the pigs are what you represent them to be.

Protection of rare and endangered species

There are breed registry agencies that work for the expansion of breeding rare and endangered species of swine. Many smaller farmers opt to set aside a small area to help keep some of these breeds from falling off the map. Tamworths, Berkshires, and large blacks, not to mention the Gloucester Old Spots and others, all have their fans, with good reason. These rare or heirloom breeds are maintained today mostly by small farmers who are intent on keeping the breeds going and showing the world their virtues.

Aside from assisting with the information needed to start breeding these types of pigs, breed registries are able to maintain detailed databases regarding the successes of current breeders. It is encouraged to maintain a pure line of any rare breed of pig you may decide to raise. Mixing rare types of pigs with more commonly found varieties places them at greater risk of extinction. Every litter of mixed piglets is a missed opportunity for a pure bloodline.

Heirloom breeds of swine have become popular with many chefs and aficionados of the slow food movement who appreciate more flavorful food. The slow food movement is an international movement that has grown as an alternative to the fast food such that people eat on the go. People who are interested in “slow food” are interested in many foods that are harder to find and that often take longer to prepare. They often prefer foods with unique flavors. Many of the rare, older pig breeds do not grow as rapidly as commercially raised pigs. They take longer to grow, and their meat is much more flavorful than most modern pork. Pork from these breeds can sell well at farmers markets and through direct marketing by farmers. Niche markets can be one of the keys to success with rare pig breeds.

The National Swine Registry

The American Yorkshire Club, the Hampshire Swine Registry, and the United Duroc Swine Registry joined forces in 1994 to form what is now known as the National Swine Registry. The American Landrace Association fell in with the NSR in 1998. As of this writing, these four breeds that make up the NSR comprise 75 percent of the purebred hog population in the United States. They represent the largest portion of the swine industry. Their genetic work is renowned worldwide.

A large concern for the NSR is in keeping the breeds genetically viable and pure. By consulting with owners regarding proper crossbreeding, they ensure strong, stable bloodlines. They help make and maintain a pool of pedigree swine by registering purebred litters.

Certified Pedigree Swine

Formed in 1997, the Certified Pedigree Swine organization is a combination of the Chester White, Poland China, and spotted swine organizations. Their goal is to maintain a registry of purebred swine to help preserve the purity of these three breeds. Genetic advancements in breeding methods are the consistent goals of the CPS.

Other registry organizations

There are numerous organizations that sponsor registration of various pig breeds. The process of registration is similar, though the fees may vary.

Pigs for Meat

The decision to butcher your pigs may not be easy for you, especially if this is your first time raising pigs. Pigs have personalities, and you may have grown fond of your pigs. However, you can try to remember that your pigs have a purpose, just like other farm animals. One way or another, most people depend on farm animals for their food, although many people today no longer realize where their food comes from. Many people choose to raise pigs for their pork because they like knowing how their food was raised. Making the decision to butcher your pigs is part of the process.

There are no regulations governing home slaughtering. If you decide to butcher your pigs yourself, you are free to kill your pigs and butcher them as you prefer. The meat must be used only for your home consumption, and you cannot sell any of the meat. However, if you intend to sell any of the pork from your pigs, your pigs must be slaughtered and processed by a licensed and inspected processing facility. Who butchers and processes your pigs will depend on how you intend to market and sell your pork. Licensing and rating for butchers ranges from custom, state-inspected, USDA-inspected, to organic. There does not seem to be one central listing for butchers in the U.S. or in each state, but you can search the Internet for butchers in your area or check your local telephone listings.

Butchering laws

• A custom butcher is only licensed to butcher and process animals that will be consumed by the person who owns the animal. The meat cannot be sold to consumers. When the pig is butchered, the meat is packaged and labeled as “Not For Sale.” Custom processing facilities are inspected and required to meet sanitary conditions and some of the same labeling and storage requirements of the USDA.

• The rules for state-inspected facilities vary somewhat from state to state but, generally, meat butchered and processed by a state-inspected facility only can be packaged and sold inside that state. About half of the states in the United States have this kind of state inspection system in place. The state inspection system must be “at least equal to” the regulations and guidelines provided by the USDA.

• If you wish to have your pigs butchered and processed at a USDA-inspected facility, then the animals will need to be inspected both before and after butchering by a USDA-certified inspector. USDA inspection does cost more, but you will be able to sell your meat anywhere in the United States. There is a per-animal fee as well as any additional costs from extra package labeling, however the additional marketing opportunities often make USDA inspection worth the cost. Many restaurants and grocery stores prefer to purchase meats that have the USDA seal of approval.

Processing fees, which includes killing your pigs, can cost from around $20 to $60 per animal for large hogs. There is also a processing fee for the dressed weight of the pig. This fee is usually 30 to 45 cents per pound. There may be further fees for more processing, such as curing, boning, or smoking the pork.

There are currently few organic butchering and processing facilities in the United States. Some of them can process both organically raised and nonorganically raised pigs. However, the processing tools and all of the equipment used must be cleaned between processing the organic and nonorganic meats in order to keep the organic meat separate. Prices for processing at organic facilities can be much higher. When pork is processed to meet organic standards, it cannot contain any synthetic artificial ingredients, additives, or preservatives. There is typically minimal processing. The materials used for packaging cannot contain synthetic fungicides or preservatives. And there must be specific labeling that identifies the meat as organic according to USDA labeling requirements. According to the USDA, no claims can be made on the labeling that organic pork is in some way inherently better than pork produced by other, more traditional methods of production. If you are interested in finding an organic processor in your area, the best way to find one (other than talking to other organic growers) is to contact your state agriculture department. They should have a listing of organic processors if there are any in your state. Local Harvest (www.LocalHarvest.org) is a good website for more information about finding more organic meat processors.

On-farm processing is an option in a few places in the United States. On-farm processing involves using a mobile processing unit (MPU). These units typically have sprung up in areas where there is a lack of processing facilities. Most MPUs are state-licensed, although some may be USDA-inspected. MPUs usually only are able to process a few animals, so they are not a good option if you have lots of pigs to butcher. If you have an MPU in your area and you choose to use it, be aware that they often expect the farmer to do much of the work him or herself or to help with the slaughtering, packaging, and cleanup. However, if you do not have a butcher or processing facility located near you, a mobile processing unit may be something to consider if you do not want to slaughter your own pigs.

Butchers

If you are raising just a few pigs of your own for home consumption, then autumn is the traditional time for butchering your pigs. This way you will not have to be concerned about feeding and housing your pigs over the cold winter months. You will have plenty of bacon and other pork in your freezer for the next year, and you can buy a few more weaner pigs in the spring to start the process over again if you like. This is often an economical way to raise pigs and feed your family with a minimum of expense and work.

If you have a choice of butchers, you should arrange to visit them in advance to see their facilities and talk to them. Find out how they are licensed and inspected, as well as what they charge. You will need to make sure they meet the right inspection criteria for the selling method you have in mind. For instance, if you intend to sell your pork products nationally, do not take your pigs to a state-inspected butcher.

Also, ask to purchase some samples so you can see how the butcher prepares the meats. Most butchers have their own recipes using different spices for making sausages and for curing meats. There can be a wide range in the amount of salt or smoke used in curing meats and in the kinds of spices used. You will want to make sure you like the way these pork products taste before you commit to allowing a butcher to process your pigs. Pay special attention to the ham, sausage, and bacon the butcher produces because these products will be most popular with customers. If you do not like their flavor, your customers may not like them either. Anything produced will reflect on you and not the butcher, so make sure you like what the butcher will be doing to the meat.

Some butchers may allow you to be on site while a pig is processed so you can observe the procedure, if you are comfortable being present. If you are present during the entire procedure, you can tell if there is anything you find objectionable or if the butcher’s work is acceptable.

The butcher’s processing normally will include cutting your pig into standard cuts of meat and curing the hams, sausage, and bacon. If you would like the meat prepared some other way, such in different cuts or leaving some of the meat uncured or “green” so you can cure it yourself at home using your own recipes, you will need to discuss this with the butcher before butchering and processing. Make sure it is fully understood and agreed upon before the butcher begins work on your pigs. You will need to pick up these fresh (uncured) meats as soon as the carcass is chilled and ready to be cut or cured. Remember, however, that you will not be able to sell these home-cured or home-smoked meats. They only can be used for home consumption because they were not completely processed by an inspected butcher.

When discussing arrangements with the butcher, also discuss packaging. Packaging can make a difference to customers, so find out what kind of packaging the butcher normally uses. White butcher paper wrapped around the meat will be fine if you are having the meat processed for home consumption. However, if you plan to market and sell your meat, it is usually best to choose clear, vacuum-wrapped packaging. Cryovac or vacuum-sealed packaging costs more to produce, but it allows the consumer to see the meat, which can make it more appealing to consumers. Being able to see the meat is also helpful when the meat is in the freezer at home.

Getting your Pigs Ready for Slaughter

Once you have chosen a butcher and made an appointment a month or so ahead of time, you will need to get your pigs ready for slaughter. The ideal weight for slaughter is usually considered about 225 pounds. Any weight that your pig adds over 225 pounds is usually deposited in the form of fat. Unless you are trying to raise pigs for their lard, it is usually a waste of feed and money to keep feeding a pig after it weighs 225 pounds.

There is an easy and generally accurate method for determining how much your pig weighs without putting it on a scale. You can measure the heart girth of your pig in inches (the distance around the pig just behind its elbows), then measure your pig’s length, from between the ears to the base of the tail. Use the following calculation:

Heart girth x heart girth x length, divided by 400 = estimated weight

If your pig is going to weigh a little more than 225 pounds at the time of processing, there is no need to panic. Consumer tastes tend to prefer leaner meats these days, but some excess fat can be trimmed off. If the meat is good, people will appreciate it. Some breeds are known for having more fat as marbling, and the fat adds taste to the meat. The important thing is to know your breed and know what is ideal for it.

If your pigs are being given antibiotics in their feed or other supplements that should not be given to humans, you will need to discontinue feeding them to your pigs during these last several weeks. You should consult the labels on anything you are giving to your pigs and make sure you follow the label directions to discontinue use before slaughtering. There is often a withdrawal period of several weeks between the time an animal stops receiving a medication or supplement and when it is butchered. Be sure you are complying with these safety instructions for human consumption.

As the time for slaughtering and processing approaches, you will need to arrange transportation to the butcher for your pigs. Whether you have one or two pigs or a much larger number, it is important to keep your pigs calm and stress-free before, during, and after transport. Pigs that are stressed and upset before being butchered do not have tasty pork. You do not want to do anything to cause your pigs to release too much adrenaline into their bloodstream from becoming anxious.

If you have the space, you can place the pigs that are headed for slaughter in a separate pen a couple of days before their trip to the butcher. You can wash them down at this time. Most farmers also remove feed from pigs 24 hours before taking their pigs to slaughter. This reduces the chance of contamination from food being digested in the animal’s digestive tract. It also makes it easier to remove the internal organs of the pig.

It is recommended that you transport pigs that already know each other together in a livestock trailer. If you attempt to transport your pigs with pigs that they do not know, you will likely have fighting and pigs that are upset. This is the last thing you want. You should also avoid transporting two unfamiliar boars at the same time, as they are likely to fight.

Keep your pigs calm overnight. Once you are ready to leave for the butcher in the morning, your pigs probably will lie down in the trailer once you begin driving. Drive slowly and carefully. Once at the facility, you should move the pigs slowly, without yelling at them or trying to make them move faster. Keep them calm. At the processing plant, the butcher and his or her helpers will take over.

Cuts

Whether a butcher is processing your pig for you or you are slaughtering your pig yourself, you will need to be knowledgeable about the cuts of meat that can be obtained from your pig: the shoulder, the side, the loin, and the leg. You can obtain the following meats from these cuts:

Shoulder

Shoulder butt, roast, or steak

Blade steak

Boneless blade Boston roast

Smoked arm picnic

Smoked hock

Ground pork for sausage

Side

Spare ribs/back ribs

Bacon

Loin

Boneless whole loin (butterfly chop)

Loin roast

Tenderloin

Sirloin roast

Country style ribs

Chops

Leg

Ham/fresh, smoked, or cured

*Source United States Department of Agriculture

Other parts of the pig are also used. Pig’s ears, brains, kidneys and other organs, as well as pig’s feet and the pig’s tail, frequently are found on the menus of chic restaurants these days. Chitlins or chitterlings are an old-time Southern favorite. They are pig intestines and can be served either as a stew or fried. Cracklins are fried pork rinds, or pig skin. The fat from your pig can be used as lard. You can use virtually everything from your pig in the kitchen.

A pig that weighs 225 pounds will usually present you with about 75 percent of its body weight as a dressing percentage, or 170 pounds of meat, bones, and fat after slaughter for the carcass or hanging weight. Plan to be able to use about 60 percent of this weight as pork you can eat or sell, or 102 pounds. The biggest part of this usable pork will be the ham, which usually accounts for about 23 percent of the carcass or about 23 pounds in this case. The side and the loin areas will each make up about 15 percent of the carcass, or about 15 pounds each. The picnic and the Boston butt from the shoulder will each account for about 10 percent of the carcass weight, or 10 pounds each; the miscellaneous parts, such as the feet, the jowls, the skin, the fat, and the shrink, or the amount of weight loss due to urination and defecation, will account for about 25 percent of the carcass weight, or 25 pounds in this case.

There will be some small variation in the amount of lean pork and fat from your pigs depending on whether they are gilts or barrows. Gilts usually produce more lean pork than carcasses from barrows of the same weight.

After processing

After processing, you will need to pick up your meat from the butcher within a day or two, depending on the butcher’s refrigeration storage capacity. Naturally, you will need to make sure you take iced freezer chests with you to transport the pork, particularly the uncured pork such as shoulder, loin cuts, and any miscellaneous parts. You will need to have good freezer storage capabilities at home in order to store the pork, especially if you have pork from several pigs, and you intend to sell some of it.

If you will be selling some of the pork for retail sale, carefully inspect the packaging at the butcher’s facility before taking it home to make sure the packaging is what you requested.

Slaughtering at Home

Slaughtering your pigs yourself at home is not for the tenderhearted, but if you wish to control every aspect of raising your pigs and producing your pork, it may be something that you want to do. However, before deciding that you want to slaughter your pigs or engage in home butchering, you should thoroughly consider the task. Killing large animals is no easy task, no matter what method you use. You will need to have the physical strength to hoist and move the heavy, dead weight of your pigs. Once you begin the job, you will need to finish it because the meat will quickly start to spoil if you delay. You will also need to work with a number of sharp knives and other special implements during butchering. If any of this gives you pause, you may wish to send your pigs to a good butcher instead of trying to do this job at home. Most people who raise pigs do use the services of butchers.

If you are still interested in the idea of slaughtering your own pigs, then it is recommended that you visit someone else’s farm when they are slaughtering pigs so you can see firsthand what is involved in slaughtering and butchering pigs at home. You may be able to assist and get some experience before you attempt to do this job with your own pigs.

Planning ahead

If you will be slaughtering at home, you will be much more dependent on the weather than if you were using a butcher. You probably will not have access to the temperature-controlled environment that a butcher has. That means that you most likely will need to slaughter your pigs in the cooler months, or at least during the coolest part of the day, such as the early morning hours. Alternatively, you may be able to do the slaughtering yourself and arrange with a local butcher to chill and cut the carcass for you. If you do use a local butcher to chill and cut the carcass, you will need to make the arrangements far in advance for the same reasons that someone taking their pigs to the butcher needs to make arrangements a month ahead of time. Butchers can be in high demand at some times of the year, so book ahead of time if you would like them to chill and cut your meat, even if you intend to do the actual dispatching yourself.

If the temperature is less than 30 degrees F, you can slaughter pigs at any time because bacteria that could spoil the meat will not grow fast at these temperatures. However, if the weather is extremely cold (below the mid-20s), you should not allow the carcass to freeze right after slaughter as this will make the meat less tender than if it is chilled first before freezing. You also will need to select carefully where you are going to slaughter your pigs. Your space requirements will depend, to some extent, on the methods you intend to use. After killing your pig, for example, you will need to remove the animal’s skin and hair. There are two ways to do this. You can either scald the pig by placing it in a large vat of water, or you can skin the pig. If you choose to scald the pig, you will need access to a large vat of water, some way to heat the water to boiling, as well as a way to hoist the pig up over the vat and lower it into the water. This can be accomplished by using a tree limb and swinging the pig over it using meat hooks with assistance from others, and so on. You can move the pig with help from others to lower it into the vat of scalding water and raise it several times. You will need to be able to apply chains to your pig’s hind legs in order to raise it over a tree limb, for example. It is usually easiest to do this if you can attach the chains to a vehicle to help lift the pig off the ground and raise the chains over the tree limb.

You also will need to have a place to slaughter your pigs. This can be done outdoors, but it is often better if you can do it indoors to keep dust and debris away. You will need to drain blood from your pig at this time, so the site should be a place that is easy to clean up. It is often easiest to do this right on the ground, especially if you have a concrete floor or if you place a tarp on the floor. Others prefer to slaughter the pig outdoors. You can put down plenty of straw to help soak up some of the blood on the ground. Wherever you choose to slaughter your pigs, clean up the site before you begin your work. The area should be clean and sanitary. If you are working outdoors, clear the area of leaves and debris so they will not blow up on to the carcass while you work. Place a layer of straw on the ground where the pig will be suspended and the blood is to be let. If you are working indoors and the area has a wooden or concrete floor, wash the floor and all of the equipment with soap and water before you begin. Make sure you rinse the area completely because any sanitizers could discolor your meat or alter the meat’s flavor.

It is important to have good, sharp tools for slaughter. You will need sticking knives for sticking the pig to let the blood, skinning knives for skinning the pig, boning knives and butcher knives for cutting meat, a steel sharpener to keep your blades sharp, meat saws to cut through large sections, and meat hooks for moving large hunks of meat. You can find these tools at a place such as HomeButcher.com (www.homebutcher.com), among others. Tools are not cheap. A skinning knife will be around $25. A boning knife is $16 to $19, depending on which kind you get. A manual meat saw is about $50. You can purchase an entire processing kit from HomesteadHarvest.com (www.homesteadharvest.com) for about $60. It contains many of the tools you will need for skinning and boning, as well as a bone saw.

Other useful implements to have on hand as you prepare the pork cuts include:

• Thermometers

• A meat grinder

• Meat needles so you can sew rolled cuts of meat

• Hair scrapers to scrape the hair off the pig

• Hand washtubs

• Clean dry towels

• Soap

• Vats for hot and cold water

A manual meat grinder can cost from $50 to $90, while electric meat grinders range from $100 to $2,800. All of your tools should be thoroughly cleaned before use with dish soap. You will need a sturdy table to hold all of your tools. You also can purchase preblended seasonings and cures at a place such as HomeButcher.com (www.homebutcher.com) if you do not want to use your own recipes.

If you have the proper tools for slaughter, it will make your job easier, and your work will be more efficient. You should plan on your first pig slaughter taking about two to three hours, which is much longer than it will take you after you become more proficient.

Before slaughtering day, study pig anatomy. Make sure you are familiar with where the pig’s organs are and where the bones are, as well as the pig’s digestive system. You will be seeing them all up close soon. Also, make sure you know where the jugular veins are, so you can make a good cut in the neck.

Before the day for slaughter, try to round up some people who can assist you. Having people on hand to help you move the carcass can be a great help. If you have people to help you who have experience with butchering, so much the better.

Killing your pig

There are several acceptable ways to kill a pig for butchering. The fastest, and perhaps the most humane way, to kill your pig is by using a sticking knife to quickly and efficiently stick your pig in the jugular vein in its throat. This is easiest to do if you have the pig raised above you with its head hanging down. You can do this if you have placed chains or straps between the pig’s hocks and hooves and lifted it by raising the chains over a tree limb or over a beam in a building. The pig will be unhappy about this position, but you should be able to press your sticking knife against the point of the breast bone and make a 4-inch vertical incision in the middle of the neck. This cut should sever the jugular vein and the blood should begin to flow. You should have tubs placed below the pig to catch the blood to prevent the area from becoming too messy. If the area is too slippery, you will not be able to work properly. When pressing the sticking knife into the breast, be careful not to press too deeply, or you could cause internal bleeding that can affect the meat.

Butchers usually will use an electrical stunner to stun the pig before cutting the throat. On some farms, the farmer will use a mechanical stunner to stun the pig first. A mechanical stunner can be used anywhere, whereas an electrical stunner needs electricity to operate. Many farmers will not have access to electricity if they are killing their pigs in a field. A butcher slaughtering large numbers of animals more often uses an electrical stunner. Other people prefer to use a .22 caliber rifle to shoot the pig in the forehead between and slightly above the eyes. With any of these methods, it is essential that you are accurate and do not cause the animal any distress. The kill should be swift, and you should not allow the animal to suffer. Try to stay calm before making the kill. If you are upset or agitated, it will also upset the pig. Obviously, if you are using firearms or stunners, you should take all necessary safety precautions.

No matter which method you use for killing the pig, the next step in the process is to bleed the pig. This needs to begin within about two minutes of killing the pig so the blood will flow freely. Pigs that are hung upside down do bleed the best, but if you do not have a way to suspend the pig, you can bleed the pig with it lying on the ground on its back. If the pig is stunned, you can have someone stand over the pig on the ground and hold its front legs. Locate the edge of the breast bone, thrust your sticking knife under the bone with the sharp point aimed toward the tail, and then thrust upward to sever the carotid artery. The pig should bleed, but if it does not, you can insert the knife a little more deeply, and there should be plenty of blood. Again, have pans ready to catch the blood.

Removing hair and skin

In order to remove the hair and skin from a pig, they traditionally have been scalded in hot water and scraped, with the skin left intact. However, today many people prefer to skin the pig because it is easier and requires less equipment. It will be up to you to decide which method of removing hair and skin you prefer to use. Many chefs and food aficionados today find uses for the skin of the pig in food dishes. Whichever method you prefer, you will be able to find uses for the skin if you are interested in keeping and reusing it.

Scalding and scraping

The purpose of scalding the pig is to loosen the pig’s hair and the scurf, or the layer of skin oil, dirt, and cells on the skin, so they can be more easily removed. It long has been believed that it was necessary to leave the skin of the pig intact on the pig in order to achieve proper curing for the ham and bacon. However, in recent years, more people tend to skin the pig and cure pigs without the skin. If the pig is skinned badly, it can ruin your bacon, however. Scalding the pig requires more work and more equipment than skinning the pig.

In order to scald the pig, you will need a heat source and a water source. Most people use 55-gallon drums or barrels. Start by heating about 50 gallons of water close to boiling while you are killing the pig and letting it bleed. This water should be heated either in the barrel you intend to use for the pig or transferred to the barrel when you are ready to place the pig in it.

You likely will need help in moving the pig into the barrel. Some people prefer to dig a shallow hole for the barrel that will contain the pig so it is easier to place the pig inside the barrel. If you dig the hole at a slight angle, you can kill and bleed out the pig next to the vat or barrel, and it will be easier to move the pig into the vat when you are ready to place the pig into it. Make sure you do not make the angle too low, or the vat will not contain enough water to cover the pig.

Another method is to build a fire beneath the vat you will be using to scald the pig. In order to use this method, you will need to dig a pit for the fire and rig a sturdy method for suspending the vat over the fire while the pig is in the vat. If you can place heavy metal legs on the vat, like a cauldron, then it could hold the weight of the pig over the fire.

You will need to use a thermometer to assess the temperature in your vat. It is best to scald the pig slowly at a temperature of about 140 degrees F. At this temperature, it will take between three and six minutes to scald the hair and scurf from the pig. The pig’s hair can be very difficult to remove, especially in the fall when the pig has begun to grow thicker hair for winter. If you are scalding your pig during the fall and your pig does have this winter growth of hair, you may need to use higher temperatures, between 146 and 150 degrees or keep your pig in the scalding water for longer periods. You may wish to add ¼ cup of rosin, lime, or another alkaline mix to the scalding water to help remove the scurf. This also will make your pig’s skin appear whiter.

It can be difficult to keep the water in the vat at a precise temperature. You will need to continue to check the temperature of the water in the vat by using your thermometer throughout the process. You should have more boiling water ready to add if necessary. You can also add cooler water if the water is too hot. If you begin with a water temperature between 155 and 160 degrees, the water should be at a scalding temperature when you are ready to place the pig in the vat. If it is cold weather, the cooler outside temperature will cool the water in the vat faster.

Once the pig is in the vat, you will need to keep it moving and pull it from the barrel several times in order to keep it from overscalding. If the pig begins to overscald, it will cause the skin to contract around the base of the hairs, known as “setting the hair.” This effectively cooks the skin of the pig. If the skin becomes overscalded, it will make the hair difficult to remove.

When the water reaches the correct water temperature of 140 degrees, place the pig in the vat head first. Turn the pig in the vat, rotating it, and pull it in and out of the water occasionally. Check the pig’s skin often for signs that the hair is easy to remove. The hair should start coming off first over the back and sides and then in the flank areas. After you can remove the hair easily from the flanks, remove the pig from the vat and place the pig rear first into the vat. Be sure to check the water temperature and raise the temperature back up to 140 degrees. The temperature will no doubt have cooled during the several minutes the pig has spent in the vat.

Once the rear of the pig is in the scalding water in the vat, you can start pulling the toenails and dewclaws from the pig’s front feet. You can insert a hook into the top of the nail and pull in order to remove the nail. Start scraping as much of the hair off the head as possible, paying special attention to the hair around the ears and snout. You can use a knife or a bell scraper for this job, which is a scraper made for removing hair. Some bell scrapers have a hook on the end for removing the toenails.

Continue to turn the pig in the barrel so that it does not overscald. Lift the pig out of the barrel and test the looseness of the hair. Once all of the hair is loose and easy to remove, you can remove the pig from the barrel.

Ideally, you will have a sturdy table to place the pig on so you can continue to remove the hair. Alternatively, you may place the pig on a piece of plywood on the ground to continue working. Remove the nails and dewclaws from the pig’s back feet, and remove the hair from the pig’s tail. Work to remove the hair on the pig’s legs by gripping and twisting the hair. Work on the difficult areas such as the head, feet, and jowl first while the pig’s skin is still hot from the vat. Then you can move to the easier areas such as the pig’s back and sides. You can use the bell scraper for these easy areas. Try tilting the scraper up toward the forward edge and pulling it forward, using as much pressure as possible.

You will need to work quickly because the pig’s skin will set as it cools down, making it harder to remove the hair. If you find areas of hair and scurf that are hard to scrape, cover them with a piece of burlap, and pour hot water over the material to loosen them. You can make scraping the legs and head easier by moving them if they begin to set. This will keep the skin stretched and loosened.

After you have removed most of the hair, you will need to pour hot water over the pig so you can continue to scrape. Place the bell scraper against the pig’s skin, and move it in a rotary motion. This will help remove the scurf and the remaining hair. If there are still patches of hair that are not removed by the bell scraper, you can use a knife. If you prefer, you can use a knife for the entire skinning process. You can use whichever tool you are more comfortable using.

At this point, you are ready to hang and suspend the carcass. You can start working on the carcass by cutting off the soles of the feet. Cut between and around the toes. You should use your knife to expose the pig’s gambrel tendons. You can do this by cutting through the skin that lies on the back of the rear legs from the dewclaws to the hocks. Carefully cut along each side of the tendons. Be careful not to cut the actual tendons, otherwise, you will have no way to suspend the pig. Insert the spreader or gambrel (the instrument called the gambrel) under the tendons in each leg in order to expose them. Fasten the legs to the spreader bar, and suspend the carcass from it. The legs will need to be spread at least 14 inches apart. When your pig is suspended, make sure neither its head nor its forelegs are touching the ground to avoid contaminating the carcass with bacteria.

You can use a blowtorch or a small propane torch to singe off any remaining hair and scurf from the pig. Singeing will remove most of the remaining hair, and it will darken other small hairs so they can be seen. You will need to be careful that you do not burn the skin when using one of these torches. Burning the skin not only can make the skin unsightly, but it can also affect the flavor of the meat. You do not want to partially cook the pork at this point in your processing. You can shave off any remaining hair and wash the carcass completely.

Skinning

It takes less time to skin a pig than to go through the scalding and scraping procedure. It also takes less equipment. You will still need to be able to hoist the pig up to work on it, however. After you have stunned and bled the pig, you can place the pig on a sheet of plywood, some concrete, or in some straw. Wash the blood and any dirt or debris from the carcass. Turn the pig over onto its back, and hold it in position with blocks, such as cinder blocks, on each side.

You can begin the skinning process by cutting the skin around the pig’s rear legs, just below the dewclaws. Make a cut through the hide and down the back of the leg. Continue to cut over the hocks and up to the midline at the center of the hams. Carefully skin around each side of the leg. Remove the skin to a point below the hock.

At this point, you can open the skin down the animal’s midline. Cut from the point where the pig was stuck, around each side of the genitals, and move on to the anus. Make this cut by inserting the point of the knife under the skin with the blade held upward. This process is called cutting from inside out. It protects the meat from becoming contaminated from materials on the hide. Avoid cutting too deeply as this could puncture the intestines and contaminate the meat.

Next, remove the hide from the inside of the hams. You will need to be careful because it is easy to cut through the fat layers and into the lean meat. You must continue to be careful not to contaminate the meat. Continue to skin along the animal’s sides toward the breast area. Grip the loosened hide in the opposite hand and pull it up and out away from the animal. By doing this, you will produce tension in the hide, which will remove any wrinkling. It will allow the knife to slide smoothly and easily. Hold the knife firmly, and place it against the hide, turning the blade slightly outward. Skin as far down the sides of the animal as possible, but do not skin around the front legs. The skin around the front legs will be removed separately.

Return to the rear part of the carcass, and remove the hide that is left on the rear of the hams. Do not skin the outer portions of the hams at this point. Wait until you have raised the carcass to a better working height. You can remove the pig’s rear feet by sawing through the bone. Cut about 2 inches above the hock. Insert the spreader or gambrel under the large tendons on the rear legs, and attach the legs to the spreader securely.

You can hoist the carcass to a convenient working height to remove the skin from the outside of the hams. This is usually about waist high. Start skinning around the outer parts of the hams, but leave as much fat as possible on the carcass. Next, remove the hide from around the anus and cut through the tail at the joint closest to the body. The tail is edible, and some people like to save it. Continue and pull the animal’s hide down over its hips. You should be able to pull the hide from the hips and back off and slide it over the hips. This will leave layers of fat on these sections of the carcass. You may need to use a knife to cut between the skin and the fat in some cases if large sections of fat are coming off when you remove the hide. Some fat needs to remain on the pig to protect the meat inside, to give the pork flavor later when it is cooked, and for curing some of the cuts. You will be able to decide during the meat cutting process how much fat you want to leave on each cut.

Hoist the carcass to its fully raised position. Cut open the hide down the back of the forelegs, and remove the hide on each side of the forelegs. Proceed to skin along the inside of the forelegs and the neck. Move to the shoulders and jowls and then to a halfway point to the back of the carcass, skinning as you move along. You can pull down and out on the hide slowly and remove it from the animal’s back. The skin should come off easily, leaving the fat beneath it intact, but if the fat does begin to tear, you can use a knife to pat it back into place. Continue pulling the hide as far down the back as possible. When it become difficult to remove the hide around the animal’s neck, you can complete the removal with your knife.

If you intend to save the pig’s head, you will need to skin over the animal’s head and down the face, cutting at the snout. Remove the front feet by sawing just below the knee joint.

Evisceration

Evisceration refers to removing the pig’s organs and intestines. During the evisceration process, you will need to be careful not to allow the contents of the stomach, the intestines, or the other organs to come in contact with the carcass and meat. Some of these organs contain bacteria and fermenting food that can harm your meat and cause it to spoil. You will be removing the leaf fat, or the fat around the pig’s kidneys, used for making lard. The pig’s head also will be removed. By the time you are finished with this part of the slaughter process, only the meat sections of the carcass will remain.

Your pig should be hanging, head down, from the gambrel. It is a good idea to have a large tub positioned under the pig in order to catch the intestines and other organs as they come out.

You will begin the evisceration process by removing the pig’s anus. You do this by cutting around the anus and making a cut deep into the pelvic canal. Pull the anus outward and cut any remaining attachments to it. Be careful not to cut the large intestine, as its contents could contaminant the carcass. Once the anus is loosened, tie it off with a piece of string so it will not cause any contamination.

When slaughtering a barrow, you will need to remove the penis or “pizzle.” Cut through the skin and the fatty tissue that lies along each side of the penis and around the opening. Lift the penis upward and make a cut beneath it along the midline. Cut along the penis and between the hams, then pull the penis upward and remove it where it attaches at the base of the ham. There is a natural separation between the hams. You can continue the cut you made between the hams and expose the white connective tissue. Cut through this connective tissue to the pelvic bone or aitchbone. Continue to cut through the cartilage between the pelvic bone and separate the two hams. You should be able to do this in young pigs; however, you may need to use a handsaw to split the pelvic bone in older pigs.

Next, you can proceed to open up the pig’s chest cavity. You can make a cut from the place where the pig was stuck to the upper end of the sternum or breastbone. Insert your knife at the top edge of the sternum and make a downward cut. It is best to cut slightly off-center. Proceed to open up the chest cavity.

Then, open the animal’s midline. Begin at the opening you made to split the pelvic bone. Insert the handle of the knife in the opening and point the blade outward, away from the inside of the pig, in order to avoid cutting the intestines. Open the midline all the way up to the breast opening. Let the intestines and the stomach roll out and hang. Do not let them fall out because they are still connected to the esophagus. If they tear at this point, they will spill their contents into the carcass and contaminate the meat. Proceed to pull the loosened large intestine past the kidneys. Cut the connections to the liver, and remove it by pulling outward on it and cutting the connective tissue. Next, you can remove the gall bladder from the liver. Cut beneath it and pull. Do not allow the contents of the gall bladder to spill onto the liver.

Carefully pull the stomach and intestines out, and cut through the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a thin sheet of muscle and white connective tissue. It separates the stomach and the intestines from the lungs and heart. Next, pull outward on the lungs and the heart, and cut down along the sides of the windpipe to cut its attachment at the head. You also will need to separate the heart from the lungs. You can do this by cutting across the top of the heart. Split the heart open, so it can be thoroughly washed. Clean the heart and liver thoroughly, and put them in ice or ice water so they can be prepared later. Many delicious food dishes can be made from the heart and the liver of the pig.

Splitting and head removal

Once the pig’s organs are removed, wash the inside of the carcass before splitting it. With your handsaw, start splitting the carcass from the interior between the hams. Try to keep the split as close to the center of the backbone as possible. Saw through the tail area to a point halfway through the loin. Move around to the back of the pig, and keep sawing through the shoulder and neck to the base of the head. If the split goes off center, continue to saw through to the next vertebra, and then get back to the center.

You will need to remove the pig’s head at the atlas joint. This is the joint closest to the head. If you have properly split the carcass, this joint should be exposed. After you have cut through this joint, continue to cut downward along the jawbone. Leave the jowls attached to the carcass. You can remove the tongue if you like, wash it completely, and place it with the liver and heart to be used later.

Next, remove the kidneys and the leaf fat. You can remove the leaf fat by loosening it from the diaphragm muscle and lifting up on it. You may have to scoop some of the leaf fat out with your hands. Leaf fat is used to make lard and is highly prized by many people.

Once you have finished splitting the carcass and removing the parts, examine the carcass and the organs to make sure everything looks satisfactory. This is normally a meat inspector’s job, but as you are slaughtering your pig at home, you will have to perform this duty yourself. Look for bruises, injuries, parasites, abscesses, and tumors. Is there any congestion or inflammation in the lungs? Do the intestines, kidneys, and other organs look all right? Does the interior of the carcass look normal? Check the carcass thoroughly for any signs of problems. If you do find something, it could affect the meat you intend to eat, or it could indicate a possible sickness that could affect your other pigs. If you find something that concerns you, contact a meat inspector or a qualified veterinarian to look at the carcass.

The carcass will need to be thoroughly washed and chilled for 24 to 48 hours before meat can be cut.

Chilling the carcass

Bacteria already have contaminated slaughtered hog carcasses during the slaughter process. These bacteria can spoil the meat unless their growth is stopped as soon as the slaughter process is finished. Immediately chilling the carcass and keeping it at low temperatures can drastically slow this bacterial growth. If you are slaughtering your pig during cold weather and the temperature is between 28 and 35 degrees, it is possible to wrap the carcass in a sheet, hang it, and chill it in a well-aired shed, as long as it is safe from any cats, dogs, or other predators looking for free meat. However, you must not allow the carcass to freeze. Freezing the carcass within a day following death can cause the meat to become tough.

If the weather is warm and you cannot cool the meat to less than 40 degrees, you will need to arrange to transport the carcass to a local market or butcher so it can be chilled for 24 to 48 hours. The carcass must be chilled for this length of time before making any cuts on the meat. Otherwise, bacterial growth cannot be prevented. No cuts of meat can be made on carcasses that have not been properly chilled because it is not safe to eat meat from carcasses that have not been properly chilled.

Where to Sell Your Pork

As already discussed, you will not be able to sell any meat you slaughter on your own farm yourself. If you have meat butchered by a licensed butcher for resale, you will be able to sell your meat to your chosen market.

Labeling

We have already discussed the kind of packaging that the butcher can provide. You will also need to consider the labels that will go on your packages. Are you artistic? Is someone in your family artistic? Can you come up with a nice logo for your farm? You will need an image or something so people can identify a label with your products and your farm. It should be simple but easy to recognize. If you have a word or a catchy phrase, people may associate it with your products. Try to think of something simple that will stay in people’s minds. Your phrase or logo does not have to come from an expensive ad agency. You and your family can think of a good idea for your products.

Who is your customer?

It always helps to ask yourself who your customer is. Who will be buying your products? Are you selling to other people like yourself? Are you selling to chefs? To food lovers? Are you selling to suburban families? To local people? To people far away? The better you can picture and identify the person you are selling your pork products to, the easier it will be for you to understand how to market your products to them. If you know to whom you are selling, you will know what they want. For example, you could sell your cuts of meats locally at farmers markets, or you could sell to someone who lives in the suburbs. They might like to buy a half hog, already dressed and ready to go in their freezer. The suburban family may not have the room or the time to raise their own pigs, but they enjoy pork products, and they have a large freezer to store the pork. Or, you could have your own Internet site to sell your products to people interested in purchasing home-raised pork. It is possible for you to sell your pork in all of these ways. You have to know how to market your products. Local buyers might care more about buying pork that has been raised locally. A suburban family might care more about your prices. Someone buying on the Internet might be more interested in the kind of pigs you have and how they are raised (pasture raised, organic practices, and so on). Learn to emphasize what your customers are looking for.

Where are you selling?

Are you selling at farmers markets? Local, independent grocery stores? A chain of grocery stores? Online markets? Gourmet or organic stores? Your own website? Are you selling directly to restaurants? To ethnic markets? How are you selling your products? How are other people selling their products? You may wish to consider all these when you look for outlets for selling your meats. As a small pork producer, you may not be able to compete with large producers in terms of lower costs or large volume, but you can find niche markets where your pork will be appreciated for its special qualities. Emphasize those points, and you can be highly successful.

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