Pig talk

[kthompson]

You're probably talking about trichinosis, generally acquired by eating dead rats, which carry the Trichina worm. Not likely in this day and age, but possible. I have seen an old sow chow down an a big, 7 or 8 pound Carp that I caught; no one wanted it, so we "fed it to the hogs". She loved it!

Think you have it. It is not just from eating dead rats, it can also be found in hogs that run wild. Now how much a problem it is today no idea. The only case I have any real knowledge of was with hogs that ran wild much of the year and with no grain around rats would not have been likely issue.

Dan that was great! I grew up on small farm and we raised very little crop but a few animals. Our pasture was a mix of some grass land and few acres of hardwoods. The hogs loved the hardwoods or the acorns off the oaks. If the crop was good we could tell for they ate less "bought feed". Hogs are really easy animal to raise as has been pointed out compare to some others, guess reason for the feral hog issue. I well remember when we bought a large round hog feeder that held probably a ton of feed. Made taking care of the hogs easy with a hog water. Amazing hog fast they figured that out. A dog would smell the water but never think they could use then they don't have the nose of a hog, to push the valve open so the water will run. It was a pleasant sound to this country boy in warm weather to have bedroom window open and listen to the feeder doors dropping shut as some would eat at night. Guess all pigs like a midnight snack.

 

[junkjunkie]

Trichinosis is not a huge concern with domestic pork nowadays. Even in commercial pork, it's been mostly eliminated. I've been told that the USDA has even backed off from the 170 degree rule. There's something to be said for a thick, tasty, medium-well porkchop! Wild pork can be a different story because they will have a tendency to scavenge carcasses and entrails, garbage, etc. Wild pork should always be cooked thoroughly (and IMO, commercial pork or pork which was raised in small pens).

The biggest thing you can do to prevent such things is to keep a good environment for your animals. One of our rules of thumb is that we don't feed the pigs anything that we don't know where it came from. They'll get the occasional snake or even a wayward squirrel that falls from a tree and doesn't recover quickly enough, and even some meat trimmings when we process deer and such, but they never have access to rotten food or carcasses. Given a large enough pen, we've found that they are very clean animals and most of them won't relieve themselves where they eat, so that helps control parasites too. In a smaller pen, they aren't as picky about where they eat and well... you know... which can lead to parasite issues (which is what trichinosis is). Our herd stays "closed" -- no visitors allowed in the pens with their "farm shoes" and we don't board or breed animals for others. When we do bring in a new animal, we isolate them for a period of time and make sure they're healthy and cleaned out before they join our herd.

Kthompshon: We like the bulk feeders, too, only smaller. Those big round ones would make life easy! It's funny, I don't even notice the sound of the doors dropping all day and night anymore, but they will drive visitors nuts sometimes! I buy feed at a local mill and we mix diatomaceous earth with it to further help in parasite control without using chemical wormers. We've started planting stuff to feed the pigs and reduce the need for "bought feed", and when we rotate pens we overseed with rape/turnip/clover for them to graze on when they go back in. Pumpkins are easy to grow too, and a natural dewormer. Then of course, their favorite thing out of the garden is "everything". For some real fun, throw in a few whole watermelons and watch them go. Our boar makes short work of it, but the feeders don't quite have his jaw-span.

 

[farmer2009]

Hogs are basically scavengers. They'll eat just about anything. They do grow well on feed grains.
If you don't want that pasture turned into mud holes, put a ring in the hogs nose. It'll stop them from rooting. They can still graze.

 

[Navasot]

Feed them all your scraps, old food, anything and everything edible... they will do much better if you have a slab and also a slop hole in the pen.. somewere for them to roll in the mud

 

[Bird]

I assume? everyone knows why hogs roll in the mud??? Since they do not perspire, they have to do that to cool; heat will kill them. They'll stay clean if you have them on a wood or concrete floor and a sprinkler system to keep them cool.

 

[ultrarunner]

I noticed at the Fair last week... some of the Hogs were in sad shape... it did reach 107 for a brief period with temps in the mid 90's during the days...

All the 4H were in a very long open sided barn with hundreds of pens underneath.

My niece's pig seemed to be taking it all in stride... he had a large outside area on their ranch to roam...

Pig Louie sure loved it when I can by and misted him with a squirt bottle... pig heaven would be a good term.

The pigs having difficulty were raised indoors in large concrete barns...

 

[EddieWalker]

Mine will spend most of the day in the water, under some bushes in the shade. I've gone to look for him and haven't been able to find him, then when it's feeding time, here he comes.

 

[KennyG]

I grew up raising hogs. Yes they will eat anything but gain faster and have higher quality meat on grain. I don't agree that flavor is better on foraging diet. They prefer being wet and dirty. As they grow they will test your fences and your patience. They are smart, stubborn and persistent.

 

[ultrarunner]

I remember from my time in Europe the most expensive pork was that fed a diet of acorns... don't know what else was in the feed but acorn fed was always the most expensive.

 

[junkjunkie]

Mine will spend most of the day in the water, under some bushes in the shade. I've gone to look for him and haven't been able to find him, then when it's feeding time, here he comes.

Sounds like my boar. Some days he'll pester you wanting his back scratched or trying to investigate whatever you're doing in his paddock. Other times I'll go looking for him and he'll be laid up under some privet hedge or buried in a pile of hay ignoring me... but if somebody happens to pick up a feed bucket or open up a sleeve of crackers, watch out! Our sow will burrow down in her mud pit with just her nose sticking out.