Below are some
general guidelines for raising pigs. This information does not cover
breeding. If you have never raised a pig before, it is best to raise one or
two for the freezer to get an idea of their behaviors, abilities, and
personalities. Breeding can be tricky and handling boars can be dangerous.
If, and when, you decide to buy a pig to raise, choose a gilt, or a barrow
(a castrated male). Either will give you a good indication of what to
expect and will get you started on possibly breeding in the future.
SHELTER
Pigs, particularly in colder climates,
are like most other animals, in that they need shelter. I am in a
relatively warm climate, but my pigs have shelter against the rain and the
sun, which is also important in that the lighter colored breeds can easily
sunburn. Unlike cattle, they are not content to lie under a tree in the
rain, or turn their backs to the north wind and sleep out in the open when
a cold front blows in. They need a shelter with bedding to snuggle down in
and stay warm and dry. Particularly piglets, which need a constant
temperature of 98 degrees at least for the first week or so. In hot
climates pigs need to be able to cool off. It's great if they have access
to a pond. If not, you can make puddles for them using the water hose. Many of them, once they become accustomed to being on a water nipple, will
hold down the nipple letting the water run out of their mouths and make
their own puddles. Our boars do that.
FEED
There are many quality swine feeds on
the market, and generally a good 14-15% protein feed is good for
maintaining your herd, however, gestating and lactating sows need more
nourishment, as do weanling piglets, who need a higher percentage of
protein. Depending on how many pigs you decide to keep, you may want to go
to a bulk feed, which is more economical. It is my personal opinion that
feeding hogs and pigs swill and garbage is not a practical choice. Not
only will they create a 'sewage' smell, but they tend to have more health
issues. That is not to say that you can't raise one hog and feed it
leftovers from the table. There is a big difference between doing that and
collecting food garbage from institutional type kitchens or restaurants. Scraps are fine, but I would still recommend feeding a few pounds of
quality feed as well. A general guideline for feeding is four to
five pounds of feed a day for adult sows and boars and free feed from
the time they start nibbling (a couple of weeks) to finish, at about two
hundred and fifty pounds.
