Want to start raising pigs but aren’t sure where to start? Here are some tips and a list of supplies at the bottom.
Piglets
First you should start small. I recommend starting with 2 or 3 piglets so they can socialize with each other a bit. It helps keep them out of trouble while still keeping your initial investment and work to a minimum.
Start looking early but try to get the piglets around the end of March through May. Note that there is a lot of demand at this time of the year. You may need to pay up to $120/piglet. Try to shoot for $90 or less if possible but don’t wait to long. They only get harder to find as the spring gets into full swing.
Be sure to watch the weather. Ideally you want to get them after the nights stop freezing.
Try to select either gilts or castrated males (barrows). You don’t want to deal with a boar or castrating your piglets when getting started.
When starting they should be 6+ weeks old or between 40-60 lbs.
If they are less than 6 weeks or less than 40lbs and the nights are freezing you should have a shelter with 2 Heat Lamps can hold them over.
Breeds: Select either Berkshire, Spot, Durocks, Hampshires or Yorkshires so you can finish them before winter rolls around. We personally prefer cross bred pigs to make them a little more hardy.
Make sure there aren’t any large bulges in the skin near the belly button or near the pigs bottom. Hernia can give you a really bad start when raising pigs.
Make sure they are active. You don’t want a pig that just sits in a corner or moves slowly.
Setup a butcher date ASAP:
As soon as you have your pigs contact your local butchers and find a date around October. Don’t delay on this! Many butchers have been booked out 6 months to a year. The longer you wait to setup a butcher date the further you will have to travel to find a butcher. When it is time to bring the pig to the butcher remember to contact them about a week ahead of time and ask about the cut sheet. They can help you figure out what cuts or options you want. Also if you want the lard be sure to ask for it. Many butchers don’t send it unless it is specifically requested.
Pig Feed
We started out with the Luxembourg feed Non-GMO, Corn-free, Soy-free feed. It worked out quite well. The primary ingredients are Flax meal, Peas, Wheat and Barley plus molasses and a vitamin/mineral mix. You will want 2 Medium Rubber Pans and 2 Large Rubber Pans to feed and water them.
Shelter/Shade
Even once the nights have stopped freezing it will be necessary to give them either a shelter or a shade. Pigs sunburn easily. Especially if they have white skin. A simple A-frame made out of plywood and a couple 2x4s would be plenty. If you have trees in the pasture they can do just fine as long as they have plenty of shade to protect them from the sun.
Wallow
Once the days and nights get above 70F it will be necessary to setup a wallow or a sprinkler for them. Pigs can’t sweat so the only way they can stay cool is by sitting in water or mud. They can make quite a mess so try to keep them away from your nice lawns during this season.
Fence
Start out with a hog fence setup. Even if you eventually switch to electric you will always need the hog panels until they get trained to electric fences. It is a really bad idea to put pigs straight into an electric fence when moving them or bringing them home.
Start off with 4 hog panels attached to each other in a square using the small clips. As the panels slowly get bent and used you will need to switch to the larger ones. Then when they are ready to be moved to new pasture add additional panels in the direction you wish to move and open the fence. Once they move to the new section you can shut the panel again and disassemble the first section.
It is a bit of a hassle to move the pigs but is much less likely to have the pigs escape than with an electric fence. Plus a good electric fencer costs around $500 and you will need the hog panels anyway just to train them in. Start off with the hog panels the first year and if you want to expand the following year consider getting a good quality solar fencer at that time.
Note: How fast and frequently the pigs need to be moved will change depending on their size and how thick the brush is for them to eat. Don’t leave them in one spot for more than 12 days and as stuff grows back don’t put them back in the same spot for 60 days to prevent parasite infection.
Last of all: Don’t name your supper!!!
It can be a little hard for the family when butcher time rolls around if you named the pig and it became a pet. If you really want to name it pick something that keeps the relationship in mind. For example, growing up our beef cattle got names like Sir Loin, or Duke of Salbury (the sauce). It makes it a lot less traumatic for the kids when supper time rolls around. :) Plus, we had fun explaining to our friends why the roast was actually called Sirloin. :)
List of Supplies
2 Heat Lamps: Be sure they are rated for 250W
2 Heat Bulbs: Get the 250W ones.
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