pigs

[chickenboy7c2d]

i am thinking of getting pigs to stay with my chickens, if they can. how big can thier area be? how can i build an arc? what breeds are best for meat and when can i slaughter them? post pics of your pigs, where they live, thier ,etc...

 

[CMV]

When you say you want them to stay with your chickens you don't mean stay in the same physical space, do you? Pigs eat chickens. They need to be kept separate unless you don't mind a few losses due to pig predation. A chicken coop (especially an ark) will not be able to withstand the attentions of a determined pig wanting a chicken dinner. Pigs are STRONG!
Pigs are a huge amount of work. If you get piglets they are a terror. They rip up your terrain, root under your fencing or simply tear it down, destroy anything green growing in their space, escape constantly, stink terribly, fight with each other... I could go on. I had pigs, but I don't anymore because of the sheer quantity of work that they entail.
If you really want to try raising up some pigs for a season I suggest picking up 2-4 at auction in the spring, raising them up through the summer and fall, and then butchering in fall to early winter. You generally butcher at 250 lbs. It doesn't sound that hard, but be aware that you need to have some strong fencing with some hot wires run close to the ground because pigs are escape artists. They also tear up their pens very quickly so you'll need to check your fence lines twice a day every day to ensure they have not buried your hot lines or burrowed under the fence. They are easy to feed, but go through a ton of water so water needs to be readily accessible at all times. Housing is pretty easy. They don't require much- just a place to get out of the elements. Heat bothers them more than cold. If you are not planning to over-winter them then housing is really easy- pallets thrown together with a roof of plywood and stuffed with hay.
As far as taste goes- different breeds have different body types and you need to decide what you are looking for in your meat quality to decide what breed you want.
Good luck. I hope this helped.

Edited to add- Have you checked out BYC's sister site BackYardHerds.com? They have a whole section dedicated to pigs.

 

[chickenboy7c2d]

thanks for the help

 

[arabianequine]

I have raised a couple pigs.....I would not put them in with chickens. They try to bite everything including us so be very careful when you do attend to them. They should be bought in spring and butchered about 6-9 months old. I would have to say they are a heck of a lot cleaner then cows the pigs I raised actually go to the bathroom in a specific corner and of course that area stinks but the pig itself did not smell to bad actually a pretty clean animal. They love water and they can't sweat to cool down so you need to have a pool or something with water in it in the really hot weather.....I had a well in the pen in the middle and I would fill it with water or let the sprinkler run that way and mist the area.

It is better to have more than one pig I would say 2 for your first time.....it is competition time when it comes to food and that is what you want is to fatten them up for meat. Oh mine loved milk and bread....I heard they love yogurt....all kinds of fruits and veggies. My pigs love an egg just throw the whole thing in there it will eat it shell and all.


I raised one pig each time I did and were just fine. The fencing I used was hog panels....I would bury them about 6 inches into the ground....you could get them a nose ring to which stops the digging cause it hurts I personally did not use it and would not cause I think it is mean to stop them from doing what they naturally do that is their whole life besides eating and sleeping.

As far as best meat pig.....really not much difference you can butcher any pig and get bacon/sausage etc. but if you want a lot of bacon you want a long pig I was thinking it was canadian yorkshire this is your pink pigs.

Research some stuff about pigs on line by googling it.....here are a few links I just looked up....also ask around when you see ads on pigs ask questions if your to much of a bother to answer them then move on....ask at your feed stores too.

http://sugarmtnfarmblog.blogspot.com/2005/08/keeping-pig-for-meat.html

http://www.thepigsite.com/info/swinebreeds.php

This last site has a bunch of breeds of pigs click on which one you want more info on.

I don't even see the yorkshire I mention on there....so maybe type it in separate.....I guess the canadian yorkshire is also called a large white.

Oh I see american yorkshire on there landrace is good too and hampshire....these are all pretty common. Google each name separate and see what you kind find on info that is

what I did and doing at the moment and still learning new things.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

I didnt have too many problems raising pigs.
I got them as piglets and had them until they were 300+ pounds.
I was raising them for a pig famer who wanted replacement sows.
Pigs are actually very smart, I taught the ones I raised to come,sit, stay and one to even fetch.
oh course I realize you want to butcher them, but at least you knw you can have some fun with them,lol.

We used hog panels and let them root. We didnt need the area they were in for anything, so we didnt mind when they tore it up.
We had a simple 3 sided side for them.

 

[lockedhearts]

We have 3, 2 sows and a boar. They are Landrace/Poland China Cross. They just turned 5 months old and weigh about 250-300 each right now. We took our cues from the guy we got them from, and since he has raised pigs for 50 + years I too his advice to heart.
Ours are in a raised pen, made from PT 2 X 6. Yes they are chewing a little on the wood, but overall they are safe and contained. Once the pen is totally finished, each pig will have a 6 x 6 pen and there will be an extra area for the piglets. We left space under the side boards and I wash the pen out daily.