Hogs

[farmgirl360]

And also I don't know the rules of yours 4-h but the boys must be fixed did u buy them fixed cuz if not and there 150 now u might have trouble doing that or the vet

 

[Mickey Lou 04]

I don't have any yet but I am probably going to next year, how bad are feed costs?

 

[farmgirl360]

Well if u have your own corn to be ground it's not bad but if u don't I live in Illinois and right now and if say I run out of corn and I need to buy some it's close to 7 bucks wich don't seem bad but can add up and swine feed from rual king I am told is way expensive

 

[Cknldy]

Average 600 to 750 pounds of grain used to reach slaughter target weight of 220-240 pounds if hogs not on pasture/wooded lot and just using grain. Where I am it is currently $15 per 50# bag but if you get it by the ton it is cheaper. Hogs are herd animals so get at least 2 if possible. When deciding whether or not it is financially reasonable to raise a hog, average up all of the pork products you buy in a year and how much you pay for it. I'll bet you save money raising your own without nasty confinement conditions and cleaner feed;-)

 

[farmgirl360]

This is true

Average 600 to 750 pounds of grain used to reach slaughter target weight of 220-240 pounds if hogs not on pasture/wooded lot and just using grain. Where I am it is currently $15 per 50# bag but if you get it by the ton it is cheaper. Hogs are herd animals so get at least 2 if possible. When deciding whether or not it is financially reasonable to raise a hog, average up all of the pork products you buy in a year and how much you pay for it. I'll bet you save money raising your own without nasty confinement conditions and cleaner feed;-)

this is true I raise my own for 4-h along with my sister and my mom will only eat our sausage and prefers our bacon and you know what's in the hog

 

[Cknldy]

Having a hard time getting piglets! One guy has been buying every single one available in every litter and then I find out that because of the "bacon shortage" in America the govt is paying folks to raise hogs. Okay, but could the guy with all the money please let someone else buy a few?!?

 

[farmgirl360]

Do u raise ur hogs and need more or what? And you might have too travel longer distance try asking well established hog farms near by and the shortage is not right it's because baby pigs are catching the PEDSsyndrome it makes baby pigs poop there self to death and there is no cure for it though

 

[Cknldy]

We were looking to raise a couple of hogs for slaughter. Finally found some from a local guy that graciously held some piglets for us! Bought them as feeder hogs then after all of that work DH says the kids and I aren't allowed to touch them or talk to them because that would make them pets and he won't eat them if they are pets!?! Made such a big deal of it that the hogs the kids and I worked so hard to prepare for are up for sale.

 

[katsmajic]

Got 3 littlies last week, 2 duroc boys @ 7wks and a large white girl @ 8/9wks.
Plan is to raise the boys for Christmas and to keep Charlotte the girl and hopefully breed her next year....will see how it goes...

 

[Cknldy]

On feeding ones for slaughter (feeder hogs)- I wasn't sure how much feed to give since we don't leave feed out overnight for any of our animals. I had read that at 6weeks or so up to 12 weeks each one would eat about 1-1 1/2 pounds of feed per day. I split that into a morning and an evening feeding. With 4 feeder hogs in the lot I gave 3 pounds feed mixed with 8 eggs and 8 of those school size cartons of milk twice daily for the first couple of days. Seemed to me that they needed more. They have a 35'x45' lot with shelter and unlimited water, plenty of greenery/acorns, etc to root around. Today I started giving 4 pounds of feed with the same additions- morning and again in the evening. Does that sound like enough? I'm sure the four of them could rip through a 50 pound bag of feed in a day:-0