# Want to get pigs, but....



## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

I am completely new to the idea of piggies.
I want to get 2 pigs for meat, but they are going to come as piglets.
I have NO IDEA what to feed them, how to house them, how to contain them...
I am scared I am going to kill the poor things!
Then again, I was scared when I first got my goats too! 
Any help, guidance, or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks guys!


----------



## still (Mar 16, 2013)

We raised a couple of show pigs a couple years ago.......loved them! They are single stomached so you don't have all the worries like the goats......they ate anything I threw in their pen......we fed them show feed but I'm sure any pig pellet would work........we got 52lbs of bacon! It was so good even though I cried the entire drive to the processor.....I felt so bad for them. Pigs are fun and I will tell you are hard to contain so the pen better be sturdy lol


Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


----------



## Mamaboyd (Oct 10, 2013)

We used and old metal garden shed for shelter, corn crib fencing worked well but they did like to dig under it. Yes, good containment is a must. One night my hubby didn't lock the gate properly and figured they would not get out...umm, next morning I go out and our 2 pigs were running through the fields in the back of our barnyard and I had to chase them with a bucket of feed. Of course it was right around the time I was suppose to be getting my kids down to the bus stop, lol. But, the meat was awesome, and knowing what we fed them made all the difference. They were great to raise!


----------



## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Any way to feed them WITHOUT buying any commercial pellets?  (crosses fingers)


----------



## still (Mar 16, 2013)

We fed ours kitchen scraps but it definitely wasn't enough to sustain them on.........not sure how to do it without using some sort of feed......they just eat sooooo much lol


Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


----------



## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I wonder if you could mix your own grain. I mix my own for my milkers.


----------



## still (Mar 16, 2013)

I wouldn't see why not......I may have to look into that next time.....I mix mine for my goats too


Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


----------



## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

I feed mine on the fodder I sprout for the goats too, as well as eggs from the chickens and brewery grain. They will also be getting goat milk now that I've started milking again 


Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


----------



## Mamaboyd (Oct 10, 2013)

we fed cracked corn, they loved digging up roots as well. any leftover meals ie) spagetti,bread crusts, potatoes etc. you can look at the grocery stores that are throwing out veggies and fruits that they can no longer sell, as long as nothing is moldy , that would work  near the end, we used a finisher grain to fatten them up. all in all, it really didn't cost that much to feed! We had enough pork to feed our large family, plus we gave some to my mom, and my inlaws and neighbors.


----------



## RaineyDayFarms (Oct 10, 2013)

I've thought about getting a pig again too. It would be for dinner and dog food though. I like the idea of knowing where our food comes from and what they've been fed/how they are taken care of. 
We fed ours scraps, stuff from the garden and a grain diet. I do know they have to have good fencing. They can get big and some can be pretty mean. We always castrated them young too. 

My uncle got a big group of pigs to grow out and sell. He also had chickens in another area. The pigs got out and raided the chicken pen. Tore everything up and ate all the chickens.


----------



## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

You can contain them with hog panels. They are short, about 2 1/2 or 3 ft tall, have the smaller squares at the bottom and bigger ones at the top. I like them because they are just short enough to step over them easily. Any kind of shed that they fit in will work for shelter. I've always raised pigs on the commercial pig feed, if you don't get the "show" feed it's not too expensive and has all the protein and vitamins in it they need. I also mix a little corn with the feed and give them goat milk when they are small. The last time I got a few pigs the people were feeding them a mix of cracked corn and soybean meal so that is always an option too although soybean meal can get expensive.

When you get the pigs, get ones that have already been castrated, have had their eye teeth clipped and are basically ready to go. That way you don't have to do any of that to them. Try to get ones that are about 8 weeks old, most breeders wean about 4 weeks which is fine, the pigs survive alright but if you wait to get them when they are a little older and have been weaned for a couple weeks that way you know they are on feed and are doing well. It is also a good idea to get a stick (they make ones for pigs, just a long stick) and teach them to move forward, turn etc. with the stick. This will really come in handy when you want to load them up to take them in. Also remember to try to keep their pen level, pigs love mud holes and will make a mess in a dirt pen if you let them. For water, I bought one of those pig watering nipples, drilled a hole in a 50 plastic gallon barrel (we put one in a 5 gallon barrel too for when they are small) and put the nipple in that. I had to get a couple attachments to go in the hole and one to go inside that to screw the nipple on to. I can't remember exactly what they are called but I found it in the sprayer section at Atwoods. You can water them with a tub or pan but be prepared to be watering them several times a day and cleaning it all the time as they will lay in it and dump it over and get it all nasty.

Pigs are a lot of fun and are super smart. They like treats and they really like to be able to get out and eat some grass and run around. The more exercise they get the more muscle they will have


----------



## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

I don't have experience with pigs, except for ones in rural china and petting zoos....

I read/heard they can have whey, so if you make cheese from your goats milk, they can have the whey.

other ideas - any breweries near you? I'm sure they'd love spent brewery grain. nuts. foraging in orchards or whatever pasture you have?


----------



## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

A local lady who had raised pigs for years and years said all she ever fed her pigs was Milled Barley, soaked in water and goat milk overnight... She said the meat was DIVINE and the pigs grew well on it.
So, I think that is what I am going to do...
She said it takes about 5-6 months to get them to about 280-300 lbs, which is when we want to butcher. So that works out well.

I am going to purchase a small shed, and house them in there.
As for fencing... I still have to figure that out...


----------



## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

I used a calf hutch and cattle panels wired to t-posts. Held my 3 just fine from march thru September when we took them to butcher. They were 300+ lbs at that point. 

They dig a lot and love to make mud. Unfortunately with mud comes the stink.....and it would take your breath away if the wind blew your direction. I fed them pig grower pellets and all our kitchen scraps. Best pork and bacon we've ever had


----------



## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

Pigs are not nearly as complicated as goats. Shelter is anything that will keep the wind and rain off them. We use lean-to type sheds but you can use a big dog house for a while. Two pigs is a great idea- just like anything else they do better with at least one friend of their own kind. Feed can virtually be anything. They will grow on fruit, vegetables, meats, grains anything!! ( I know in Europe and Australia it is not legal to give swine meat, or eggs so if you are there DON"T DO IT!) Ours get kitchen scraps, dirty eggs, old milk, whey or anything else I have around (not generally meat though). Contact a local grocery store and see if you can get their old or bruised fruit. Pigs love walnuts and acorns. Check into what by-products are close by- bakeries? pasta factories? 
Don't forget HAY. Yes our pigs love HAY. We give them some every day- makes their poop solid like horse turds and does not stink nearly as bad. We have had out door heritage all natural pigs for years so feel free to contact me if you like.


----------



## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

Abra said:


> A local lady who had raised pigs for years and years said all she ever fed her pigs was Milled Barley, soaked in water and goat milk overnight... She said the meat was DIVINE and the pigs grew well on it.
> So, I think that is what I am going to do...
> She said it takes about 5-6 months to get them to about 280-300 lbs, which is when we want to butcher. So that works out well.
> 
> ...


oh yeah- the other thing is hogs are hard on everything. Use more posts than you think you should need on the fences (every 4 feet is what we do). The shed should be either very solid or anchored down well or one that is basically disposable. Sows are much worse but pigs like to tear things up too


----------



## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

Just another thought, if you get pink skinned pigs make sure they have plenty of shade in the summer so they don't get burned. You can put sunscreen on them too or have a way for them to get mud on their bodies to protect their skin.


----------



## mlktrkdrvr (Dec 7, 2012)

ptgoats45 said:


> Also remember to try to keep their pen level, pigs love mud holes and will make a mess in a dirt pen if you let them.
> You can water them with a tub or pan but be prepared to be watering them several times a day and cleaning it all the time as they will lay in it and dump it over and get it all nasty.


Just a thought on this. Don't expect that you will have pigs and NOT have mud. (Unless you have them on concrete) Pigs can not, repeat CAN NOT sweat, therefore they wallow to cool them self off. In the warm weather it is absolutely essential that they have a wallow. If your pigs do not have a wallow they will get hot and start panting. A panting fat hog is a very bad thing and if you don't get them cooled down you will soon have a dead fat hog.


----------



## Ryann (May 29, 2013)

We use 3 or 4 strands of electric fencing close together and low enough we can step over and a lean to with a raised floor for shelter...keeps ours in just fine. we feed a pig pellet and any kitchen scraps except meat. will give them leftover/sour milk and the whey when I make cheese pigs are great they have so much personality and are very smart!


----------



## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

We only have an acre, and we have an area in the back of the property that I am thinking about putting the pig pen in. It's a nice, shaded area that sits below the house (Our property slopes a bit), with trees around as cover and protection from the sun. In the winter it's protected (more or less) from the wind. Wondering if the giant boulders in the ground (we have a VERY rocky ground) as well as the tree-roots from the surrounding trees will prevent over-excessive digging... Hmmmm..... Still, the pen should be large... They will be able to have plenty of room, and I will dig out a hole in there and fill it with water for them to soak themselves in the summer...
Have been thinking about shelter, and fencing.
I can't spend a fortune on fencing, and a friend recommended we use barbed wire as fencing (which we DO have a spool of)..??? Would that even stop a pig..???
Another friend recommended Pallets.... NO idea how I would even go about THAT. LoL How can you possibly make Pallets Pig-Proof.???


----------



## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

Rocks and trees and roots will all get dug up. Pigs are incredibly strong. I used cattle panels, they were fairly cheap at tractor supply and I got a used calf hutch off Craigslist


----------



## DawnStar (May 19, 2013)

I don't know how much room you have, or what breed of pig you are considering but we have American Guinea hogs who are a "grazing" breed of pig similar to the New Zealand Kune Kunes. Both breeds fatten off of pasture/ hay very easily without the use of commercial hog chow. They are as close to being vegetarian as you can get for a pig. However they do still need protein. Eggs are our source... We always have extras!

As far as housing.. On our property we keep our pigs in cattle panel pens right next to the Garden. When the growing season is over the pigs get to clean up the garden and rototill for us while we seed the other side with a cover crop. Then they get to switch back over, graze/ rototill.

Shelter requirements would be the same for your goats. A three sided shelter, free from drafts and rain. 

The only down side to these hogs is that they are rare and can be hard to find! They are also small (adults are usually under 200lbs), docile, and have been used since Thomas Jeffersons time as a family homestead hog. They are a 'lard' breed, which is why they are so thrifty at grazing, and if fed high fat/ high protein diets like the more common commercial breeds of pig they will become grossly obese and thus become sterile.

High fat/protein feeds should be fed sparingly if at all. These types of foods are grains, hog chow, pastas, meat scraps, etc. High fat diets may be necessary for the meat pigs, but for low maintenance lard pigs, it's disastrous. In short, well balanced diet that consists of plenty of forage will yield top quality marbled hams. An over fed/ poorly fed AGH on hog chow will give you lard.


----------



## oakshirefarms (Jul 5, 2013)

We have been raising pigs going on three years now. I started out using cattle panels and 4 x 4 posts. Never had an issue of them escaping and they held the weight fine. We wanted to get into a rotational system with them though and so permanent fencing was not feasible for that, besides the fact that the wet seasons become a total disaster as far as mud goes. So I read somewhere about using pallets. We have been doing that ever since and it has been a golden and zero cost alternative [ well except for the screws to hold them together, which we re-use each time we rotate them]. We move them around our homestead, especially overwintering them on the garden. The pallets have worked to hold full grown sows and boars as well as younglings. I would definitely recommend them if you have them available.


----------



## imbossofchaos (Mar 23, 2014)

oakshirefarms said:


> We have been raising pigs going on three years now. I started out using cattle panels and 4 x 4 posts. Never had an issue of them escaping and they held the weight fine. We wanted to get into a rotational system with them though and so permanent fencing was not feasible for that, besides the fact that the wet seasons become a total disaster as far as mud goes. So I read somewhere about using pallets. We have been doing that ever since and it has been a golden and zero cost alternative [ well except for the screws to hold them together, which we re-use each time we rotate them]. We move them around our homestead, especially overwintering them on the garden. The pallets have worked to hold full grown sows and boars as well as younglings. I would definitely recommend them if you have them available.


I'd love to see pictures of this fencing! I have a ton of pallets ;-)

Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


----------



## wambo3419 (Sep 26, 2013)

We raised two pigs last year. When they were young like 8 weeks to maybe around 12 weeks they were in chicken wire pens and we would let them out to graze and dig with the goats and chickens. We even used them to turn the dirt so we could plant corn and other veggies.  Then as they got older they were put in a concrete pen made out of pallets. There feed dishes were made out of concrete because they would knock everything over and chew like crazy. Like mentioned before provide plent of water. We fed a mix of pig grower pellets and whole corn. Then to finish them a few weeks before just an all corn diet. Feed isnt to expensive esprcially if on a measured diet. If my pigs got fed to much they would leave it there. They also got some scraps here and there. If given a lot of attention they can be really sweet. If you get makes definitely have them castrated. They grow much better. And they aren't as crazy. We got a intact male oh boy never again!! He broke everything, killed chickens, attacked goats when he got out. Would bite us. Sold him first chance i got lol.


----------



## oakshirefarms (Jul 5, 2013)

imbossofchaos said:


> I'd love to see pictures of this fencing! I have a ton of pallets ;-)
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


 We are in the midst of a rainstorm here, but once it stops I will try to get some pics for you! [Supposed to stop Sunday.]


----------



## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

oakshirefarms said:


> We are in the midst of a rainstorm here, but once it stops I will try to get some pics for you! [Supposed to stop Sunday.]


Me too! Me too! I want to see too!! 
I mean, pleeeeeeeease..????


----------



## imbossofchaos (Mar 23, 2014)

oakshirefarms said:


> We are in the midst of a rainstorm here, but once it stops I will try to get some pics for you! [Supposed to stop Sunday.]


Thank you ;-)

Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


----------

