I'm looking into raising pigs....

[cluckmecoop7]

Hi everyone,

I might be getting a pig sometime, so I was hoping to learn how to care for them and raise them. Here are some of you questions I would like answered:

1. How much does it cost to buy one?
2. How much does it cost to feed for a year or two?
3. Do do they need a lot of room?
4.Do do they need a lot of room?
5. What kind of shelter is good?

This is what I want: (I can't find what breed it is.) https://www.google.com/search?safe=...hUKEwip7r-n4tPlAhWmmOAKHWCEAfMQ4dUDCAY&uact=5

 

[Duck_life]

I don't know about your state but feeder pigs for me typically cost $65-100.

not sure about how much the cost is per year since were just starting on getting pigs in the spring but the bags of feed can cost up to $50 dollars.

I'm using my pigs for meat and breeding so i'm just making a simple 'shed' and a bit of land fenced in, perhaps a bit less than an acre

Shelter... umm we were just planning on building a small shed, or a tiny barn.. enough for 2 pigs and their babies.

 

[Duck_life]

I feel any breed of pig is fine but for meat i'm going with american yorkshire. (which is what we raised for meat)

 

[Duck_life]

https://modernfarmer.com/2014/03/pig-find-next-pig-thing/ if you're looking for a pet check out the link

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I know next to nothing about pet pigs except that they are pigs but I know a great deal about normal swine as livestock.
The link looks like you are looking for Yorkshires. We raised them as well as Hampshires, Poland Chinas, Berkshires and others.
Generally speaking, if you want to raise pigs for meat, you'll want to buy feeder pigs. That is a piglet around 8 weeks of age. You can usually find them at your area auction barn on sale days. The bigger stockyards may have them. Call and ask. Craigslist is also an option.
The price at auction or sale barns changes daily. You can go online or to your newspaper to find the market price of hogs in your area. The price of feeder pigs will be time and a half of market price.
The 52 week high and low per pound can range from $0.50 to almost a dollar.
So lets say the daily price was $0.50 per pound for lean market hogs, the price of feeder pigs will be $0.75 per pound.
http://agebb.missouri.edu/mkt/bull7c.htm

You can raise them on concrete in a very small space but to allow them to forage requires a lot more space. We would usually feed out our hogs at a rate of 20-40 on about 2 acres or less.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Thank you @ChickenCanoe and @Duck_life for the info. I really hope I can get a pig next spring!

 

[FortCluck]

I want to get a meat pig too. I'm looking into different breeds and what others have experienced. There's a lot of info on YouTube about raising meat pigs.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I want to get a meat pig too. I'm looking into different breeds and what others have experienced. There's a lot of info on YouTube about raising meat pigs.

I guess I should go over to BackYardHerds....

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Depending on how much pork your family eats, I would consider getting at least 2 feeder pigs. They will have a sibling to grow up with for company and the cost of butchering and processing could be less with 2. You need to have sufficient freezer space or a good smoke house. Some cities and towns have meat lockers you can rent but the cost dips into the incentive of raising your own. But free range hogs on pasture and organic feed may be well worth it.

 

[cluckmecoop7]