Going for the Sow (Mama Pig) + other piggy notes

Lumpy

Last year we got a couple of weaner pigs in May, and raised them until slaughter in October.

Some things we learned:
1. Don't keep their food bin full. Doing this makes them less valuable as kitchen left-over and garden waste eaters. Those two pigs would actually turn their piggy noses up at some greens from the garden, because they were so used to having all the piggy-pellet food they wanted. So this year they will be fed twice a day (pellets), and kept hungry enough that they won't turn down ANY of the garden waste. (It doesn't pay to raise them mostly on pellets - WAY too expensive.)

2. Put some type of slats across the top of their water trough -- far enough apart that they can get at the water, but close enough together that they can't climb into the trough. We kept the "pig wallow" portion of their sizeable pen wet/damp at all times ... but they still climbed in their trough. It was gross -- and had to be dumped about every other day. That was not fun, especially as they got older, bigger, and more determined to try to get out of the pen when we'd go in to do this.

3. Slaughter a little earlier. You get less meat off each pig, but you have to mess with them (and buy them feed) for less time -- and the butcher's fees are less, too, since they are by the pound.
Also, slaughtering smaller pigs means you might be able to handle the job yourself, instead of paying someone $50.00 - $75.00/pig to come out, kill them, and dress them.

BUT NOW TO THE REAL MESSAGE OF THIS POST:

This year we are getting three weaners -- all gelts (females).
We are going to slaughter two in late summer or so, and keep the best looking one back as a sow.

This is going to be quite the experiment, as it will involve having to house her through the winter - and feed her, of course. But when she comes into heat, we are going to breed her, and she should produce quite a few little ones (at least a dozen). They can be sold for $75.00/head at 8 weeks old -- which will pay for the operation to continue. (Hold back two for ourselves, plus the sow.)

Openly solicting advice, here, from any of you who have done this on a small-scale basis!

Lumpy
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americandream

patience · Expert Joined: Jan 04, 2008 Posts: 1504

We've done a lot of this. For a trough, I found an old galvanized water pressure tank, about 18" dia x 36" long, and cut it in half lengthwise with a torch. Welded on a couple 3/4' pipes for the slats you mentioned, and some feet of scrap flat stock. These things lasted for years. The 2 halves were enough for 6 feeder pigs to maturity. I built a feeding floor of 4" square cedar posts laid on the ground 3 feet apart, then nailed local sawmill lumber (red oak) over this in a solid floor. Water could drain through the cracks and kept the area from getting muddy in wet weather. We put this near the fence, so feed and water could be put in from outside the pen. The troughs were wired to the wood floor on the side AWAY from the fence, to prevent pigs from turning it over, yet the other side was free for ME to turn over and dump it.

A shelter for them, of the same sawmill rough lumber, was just large enough for them all to lay in, had a low metal shed roof, 5 feet high in front, and pitched for drainage to the back, to keep it dry on the open front. Some straw for litter never got dirty, because when a pig gets up in the morning, he will walk at least a few steps before his bowels move. The shelter NEVER had manure in it. The open side faced south to the sun for warmth, which also dries out any moisture and helps keep fleas, and mites to a minimum. One strand of barbed wire on the inside of the fence, about 4" to 6" of the ground will pretty well stop rooting under the fence and minimize escapes. Our pen for 6 hogs was about 30' x 50', and slightly sloping for drainage. A large enough area like that allows waste to dry quickly, and prevents odor problems. Hogs will stay clean, if allowed enough room.

If the pigs are prone to scratch a lot, they probably have fleas or mites, which is easily treated with a stripe of used motor oil poured down the center of their back--don't overdo it, a pencil size stream is enough, ears to tail.

We were doing our own butchering, and fed a lot of farm raised corn and garden waste, with some pelletted protein suplement. They grew to 250 lbs in a bit over 6 months, at reasonable feed cost.

Butchering 2 hogs in one day is a lot of work for about 3 or 4 people, depending on how you go about it. Traditionally, hogs are scalded and the bristles scraped off, in order to retain the hide which wastes a bit less meat when salt/sugar curing, and smoking. We've done that, but it requires a huge amount of work and equipment. I prefer to skin the carcass, split it down the back with a chainsaw, and then cut off hams, shoulders, and bacon slabs for curing. MUCH easier than scalding, and probably more sanitary, to be able to wash the meat in smaller pieces. Any butchering process is made easier with a chain hoist to raise the carcass where offal can land on a tarp to be drug away for burial, and the carcass is anchored for pulling off the hide.

Find an experienced helper the first time you butcher, have your equipment ready, and the freezer or salting table prepared to minimize last minute hassles.
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Local fix-it guy..

steam_cannon · Expert Joined: Dec 28, 2006 Posts: 2460 Location: MA

careinke

I am having four pigs slaughtered next Saturday. This is the second set I have raised. I built a new pen for each set. Primarily to clear some land. Pigs will clear land pretty well.

The first time I only raised two, and fed them mostly pellets and garden waste (plus what they foraged).

This time I raised four. My Sister and brother work in a soup factory and we were able to collect what they throw away. They have been feed mostly broccoli-cheddar soup and chicken noodle drained soup. They love it. I was worried about a balanced diet just feeding them cream soups, but read that pigs used to be raised on milk.

On the rare occasions I feed them pellets, they are not overly impressed.

I like to raise them in the winter because it keeps the smell down. I really like the idea of building them a raised platform to feed on. I will certainly try that next winter.

I really enjoy raising pasture pigs, they are a lot of fun to watch and seem to enjoy life. Pigs playing is a hoot.

My wife who I swear is an empath has to leave on slaughter day, but she enjoys them when they are around, and certainly likes the meat.

Cliff (Start a rEVOLution, grow a garden)

Homesteader

In the past couple of weeks we slaughtered two. Get a come-along to lift them. Agree that skinning is the way to go. Cutting them up and packaging them isn't overly hard. I don't put any bone in the freezer to conserve space. We only bring the sausage meat to the butcher for grinding. At .25/lb including spices it is a bargain.

Lumpy, my wife was pushing to do what you are considering. It makes sense. They aren't hard to raise. The guy we buy the pigs from raises them on pasture. Easily the best set-up I've ever seen. Clean, healthy pigs. He said when given plenty of room farrowing is seldom if ever a problem.

Lumpy

careinke

Hi Lumpy,

I live on the Puget Sound, so the temp is usually around 30-40 in the winter. We get maybe a week or two of below freezing weather.

The pigs do not seem to mind the cold. They like to snuggle with each other when sleeping so that probably keeps them warm enough.

I have heard pigs do not have sweat glands, which is why they need a wallow when the weather is hot. I'm not sure if that is the truth, because I have observed steam coming off of the pigs when the weather is cold.

I am not the only one who raises pigs in the winter around here. None of the people I know who do, use any sort of supplemental heat. If the temp is going to be in the 20's I will throw extra straw in their hut. I have seen them bury themselves with fresh straw.

Sorry, I could not be more help.

Cliff (start a rEVOLution, grow a garden)

patience · Expert Joined: Jan 04, 2008 Posts: 1504

Homesteader, Yeah! Boning out the meat is the way to go! That is a big advantage if you are salt/sugar curing also, because it allows salt to penetrate better into the thinner pieces. Solid hams with the bone left in always spoil from the inside out, since salt does not always make it in deep enough. And, if you are freezing the meat, it only takes about half the freezer space when it is boned out, and stacks better.
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Local fix-it guy..

Pops

I really like pigs. Our current Ms. Piggy is really big, we have had two record breaking months of rain and just can't get a trailer to her and though we feed her mostly pour-out milk from the neighboring dairy we pay the butcher by hanging weight - and we don't use much lard...

Anyway, we usually get ours in late summer, use whatever as shelter (currently an old fiberglass campershell covered with brush against the wind) and give her some grass hay for bedding - which she promptly eats. It can get a ways below zero* F here with windchill and they seem OK with this setup.

The main thing about the feeder is keeping it anchored. We are usin a rubber pan set inside half a tire right now which she has a hard time upsetting.

Going forward I want to experiment with root crops and field corn as feed. plant some sweet potatoes or turnips in the winter pen with a plot of field corn next door and maybe some soybeans in a four-way rotation.

Ms. Pig is working towards 400#s I'd say and when I take out some hay for her to eat in bed she about knocks me over while I scrub her back and ears.

BTW, a young lady is a "gilt" and a no-longer-boy is a barrow (as in Clyde)
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Make a plan and work it:

Ludi

Pops

Yea the root crops they could, perhaps after a few calves take the tops?

They like cornstalks but better is to pull the ears, husk 'em and throw them in a crib to dry for winter feed then cut the green stalks for calves because they can make better use of the cellulose - if you can keep them from running you over!

I've done a little of each at different times with sweet corn, old potatoes and stuff.

Here is our current gal:

_________________
Make a plan and work it:

WisJim

Regarding pigs in winter, our next door neighbor used to have pigs, and he kept a sow or two year-around. They get hairyier as the weather gets cold. They had small (8x10x5 ft tall) shelters, 4 walls and a roof with a large door on one side. They did fine as long as they had food and water. Our winters usually have a bunch of 20 below F weather, with lows down to 40 below on occassion. Food, water, and shelter to keep them out of the wind should do it.

CarlinsDarlin · Moderator Joined: Jul 02, 2004 Posts: 1395

Great thread, and great pic, Pops Smile

. Ms. Piggy is lovely Smile

I've talked forever about the next animals we add being cows, but in all likelihood, we'll probably end up with pigs first. I've planned to hog-panel-off our garden spot and over winter them there - letting them root up, clean up, and fertilize the garden at the same time.

Most folks I know around here do just the opposite - keeping them over spring and summer, but it just makes more sense to me to do it over the winter, and then butcher in late winter / early spring just before time to plant.

Of course, this is all theory since I haven't done it yet. My grandpa raised pigs as long as I can remember, but his weren't as nice as Ms. Piggy - you had to carry a 2x4 to go in the pen with them. They were mean as fire and would chase you down chomping and trying to take a plug out of you. One good smack on the snout brought them around really quickly, though. Smile

Kathy

Lumpy