Raising Pigs for the first time

[AlienChick]

I can't remember, but I think we got about 110 lbs of meat.

 

[hillfloweranch]

I can't remember, but I think we got about 110 lbs of meat.

Wow that's great!!

 

[hillfloweranch]

So has anyone had any problems with this pig virus? PED? Going to research online a bit too

 

[jen85]

That's the virus that kills piglets right? Our adults are healthy so hopefully they will stay that way. Expecting 4 litters of piglets July 12th! Excited and nervous.

 

[ozexpat]

I will be artificially inseminating the first 3 of our gilts next week.

Sires will be landrace, Duroc and Pietrans

 

[hillfloweranch]

I will be artificially inseminating the first 3 of our gilts next week.

Sires will be landrace, Duroc and Pietrans

Cool! No piggies yet for me...but soon very soon!

 

[mimischicksnat]

Cool! No piggies yet for me...but soon very soon!

We think our Blue Butt is ready to go today or tonight. Or perhaps there will be piglets when I get home from work! They are Blue Butt/Hamp cross. Second litter for us, first for her. First was last year and only had 3. I have butterflies and want to leave work now to go check!

 

[ozexpat]

Update on the pigglets?

I ordered three doses of pig semen today here in the Philippines. You've heard of mail order brides from here, well we have mail order boar so well lol

My oldest three gilts are landrace. I am trying to develop some great pigs so I ordered one of the girls high quality landrace, the second will be crossed will Pietrains and the third will get Duroc.

I am hoping to keep 3 gilts from the pure landrace for future sow lines and then a gilt from each of the crosses for future boar lines.

My next three girls are mutts but look like they have Duroc and perhaps some native pig lines. They will hopefully have a boat load of piglets to a large white boar that I can sell and start covering the feed they are blasting through

 

[mimischicksnat]

Update on the pigglets?

Sad day. She lost all of them and we had to cull her. She came from a 4h project and the vet told us that the way 4h gilts are fed their pelvises don't have time to catch up to their bodies. Something we didn't know.

We have to start all over again. The vet gave us a name of someone who raises Duroc. Hubs loves that breed. So we'll get in touch with him after all the madness is over and see if we can get a young sow so we don't have to start from scratch.

 

[hillfloweranch]

Sad day.  She lost all of them and we had to cull her.  She came from a 4h project and the vet told us that the way 4h gilts are fed their pelvises don't have time to catch up to their  bodies.  Something we didn't know.

We have to start all over again.  The vet gave us a name of someone who raises Duroc.  Hubs loves that breed.  So we'll get in touch with him after all the madness is over and see if we can get a young sow so we don't have to start from scratch.

I'm so sorry that's terrible!