Right butcher size for hog?

[CoopCrazy]

My folks and I are wanting to go in together on a hog to have butchered. my uncle did this last year he bought his fromt he auction went straight home and butchered it. Is this safe? I feel like I would want to keep at least a few weeks to know what it is eating and also if they had given it meds or wormers.

What weight should we get?
Do you reccomend a certain breed?
And what age?

Any response will be appreciated. Thanks

 

[CoopCrazy]

I must not be very interesting...

Nobody looks at my posts.....

 

[chicks for better health]

Most butchers don't like to see them over 250#, they become difficult to work with.

Are your pigs females, or casturated males?

 

[CoopCrazy]

I dont have them yet. Just gonna get one from the auction take home a few weeks (stuff with goodies) Then take to Butcher. Do you reccomend female or castrated male. I have no idea what i should get been trying to research but coming up short

 

[jenjscott]

in my opinion... get a 180 to200 pound red duroc and feed him out to about 220. Perfection.

ps have a little patience. 15 minutes is hardly very long to wait.

 

[MattyP]

I raise hogs for friends and personal use. I would be a little wary of the auction. You get a lot of other people's diesease and illness. Your in Illinois there has got to be someone who raises them around there. By a feeder pig if you have the room and grow it yourself. I love my piggies. The sows are big old pets.

 

[CoopCrazy]

Quote:
Thanks for the help folks. This is just one of those... Perfect world scenarios at the moment. But wanted the Experts opinions....

Hopefully I'll be posting pics of my big fat piggies soon....MMMM Fresh Bacon..and HAm ...and Chops ... And o yeah did I say BACON>>>>

Patience... Whats That? LOL

 

[MattyP]

Quote:
Your definitely right. Over 250# and they start to get really fatty. I have about 20 or so free ranging on 8 acres and they love it. I can't pen them up like some people do to raise hogs. They are very intelligent animals and I like to see them out in the field rooting around.

 

[MattyP]

Quote:
Thanks for the help folks. This is just one of those... Perfect world scenarios at the moment. But wanted the Experts opinions....

Hopefully I'll be posting pics of my big fat piggies soon....MMMM Fresh Bacon..and HAm ...and Chops ... And o yeah did I say BACON>>>>

Patience... Whats That? LOL

Make sure the slaughterhouse you take the hog too cures bacon and hams. You can do it yourself if you want. We did about 8 hams and a couple of slabs of bacon this year. I am going to take 2 hams over to a friends for a sugar cure. MMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

 

[CoopCrazy]

All this talk about HAm and Bacon... Yep need a pig.. Biggest reason I can't raise form babies, I cohabitate with my sister and she already has a stink with me about the chickens and the rescue dog.. I finnaly convinced her to let me keep one or two in a large pen for 2-4 weeks but any longer and she says no way... I really would love to raise them myself, know what they ate, health etc... I am having a hard enough time trying to convince that Coturnix won't stink.... Gotta love city folk in the country...