Any advice for a future pig raiser?

[Mylied]

My suggestion is get a couple pink feeders off Craigslist to try out. They grow pretty fast. 6 months and you got a good sized pig. Give them as much scraps as you can get (have friends save you veggie/egg/dairy scraps), let them forage in the woods, and supplement some pig feeder as needed by how well they grow. If it's for your consumption, you can give them meat scraps. I give them chicken culls (the whole thing) I don't feel like cleaning, all the leftovers from processing chickens, leftover meat scraps from dinner. They're omnivores and have a similar digestive system to humans. Curdled milk products is ok. No mold. No onions, no raw potatoes. Secure fence. A hotwire is a good idea. Fresh water always and a kiddy pool or mud pit when it's hot. They don't sweat and can overheat.

 

[Mylied]

Oh and a shelter. My husband built me a simple three sided wooden one with a roof.

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

Thank you!

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

I'm sorry but if you don't now the simple basics of raising large livestock like pigs, i don't think you should attempt to raise/breed them.

Isn't that how you learn? This what BYC is for! Ya, it is Backyard CHICKENS, but isn't this what that section of the forum is about?! Actually, this was a question for my father and grandfather...

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

Isn't that how you learn? This what BYC is for! Ya, it is Backyard CHICKENS, but isn't this what that section of the forum is about?! Actually, this was a question for my father and grandfather...

You are 100% correct and yes, you are in the right forum. Keep asking questions, it how we learn! Do some research elsewhere too! Check with your local agriculture office and they might can connect you with someone in your area who would be willing to guide you and lend a hand when needed. I wish you the best of luck in your new adventure!
Also.. @dan26552 any advice you can offer?

 

[Sara Ranch]

Remember many pigs are good escape artists!

My pigs did well with a regular schedule, lots of water, and lots of love.

I paid attention to what foods (from table scraps to garden goodies) that they enjoyed.

Will you be harvesting the pigs yourself? Or sending them to a butcher?

Can you handle a pig by yourself if it got out or needed meds, like worming meds? Or is there someone who can help you?

 

[brewfarm]

Here is a good chart that shows pig feed consumption as they age.

http://www.sutherfeeds.com/pdf/commercialswine/performancemanagement/FeedandWaterIntakeChart.pdf

We had 5 pigs over the summer and butchered them after Christmas. Ours were half pot bellied half Yorkshire with I forget what else. They were not economical meat pigs. Maybe someone else can chime in and give you a good recommendation for a meat pig.
IIRC they were eating 8 pounds of feed a day a pig and going through a 55 gallon barrel of water every 2 1/2 days. Plus, every bit of food waste from the house and every broken egg the chickens laid (not often but it happens)

I do not recommend using a nose ring on a meat pig. We did not, we let them root. That's their natural behavior. But- that was a huge mess. Within two weeks there was not a blade of grass in their pen. By the time the rainy season started the mud was ankle deep everywhere. They loved it, but I didn't. We built them a basic, 3 sided, plywood shelter and kept hay in the bottom. That seemed to keep them cozy and happy.

Homegrown meat is awesome. But, it's a lot of work. We did not know a thing about keeping pigs. It was a fun learning experience.

 

[brewfarm]

Remember many pigs are good escape artists!

This is true. I had to repair my fence twice. They had help. My nephew has a dog that would come visit and between the dog and the pigs they love to try to dig under the fence. I lost one baby pig that got out and the dog got in once (I found her snuggled up with the pigs in the shelter). The next time we do it I'm gonna dig a small trench and bury the bottom of the fence.

 

[cassie]

If you want to raise pigs on pasture and want them for meat, look into Large Blacks. Large Blacks are an old heritage breed, have good muscling, are hardy, have huge ears (not that that matters) and have a docile temperament.