Baby Pig. Now What?

[EddieWalker]

Obed,

Thanks for the tips and sharing your experiences with raising hogs. Sounds like just what I'm wanting with Oscar. A big, friendly, monster of a pet that will freak people out when they come over!!! hahaha

How big where the pigs when you castrated them? I've read people doing it all all sized, but was told to wait until he's 20 pounds by a lady who works for a vet and says thats the best time to do it. She said she'd do it for free if I brought him to her, so that's my plan right now.

My brother also said to put a ring in his nose. How does that work? Do you start out young and change it out to a bigger one as he grows? Does it go all the way through? I'm really clueless here and don't even know enough to ask the right questions.

clemsonfor,

This is a new game camera. I've had two Stealthcams before this one and been very happy with them. They last two years and then just quit on me. I've tried a few other brands, but keep coming back to Stealthcam. One of the big reasons for buying another Stealthcam is the 12 volt system that it uses. I have a solar cell on the feeder that I bought from Northern Tool that's real good. It charges a 12 volt battery in the feeder, and I have wire running to the camera from that battery. I never have to buy batteries anymore and it's on 24/7 all year long.

The temps are a concern. I don't know if it gets that hot, but kind of doubt it. The camer is on a tree, out in the open. It's no hotter there then the surrounding area, but it reads 30 to 40 degrees hotter during the heat of the day. I think the sensor is sensitiv to the sun when it's shining on it, but then again, maybe the case just gets that hot. Once the sun sets a bit more, and before it hits it's peak, the temps always look dead on. It's just those certain times when they are crazy like that.

Eddie

 

[EarPlug]

My brother also said to put a ring in his nose. How does that work? Do you start out young and change it out to a bigger one as he grows? Does it go all the way through? I'm really clueless here and don't even know enough to ask the right questions.
Eddie

Eddie,

Found this for you -

Some farmers install nose rings on their pigs to inhibit a behavior known as rooting. When pigs root, they use their noses to burrow into the ground, turning it over to expose material of interest. While rooting is an entirely natural behavior, it can be very destructive, and pig rings are used to reduce the overall damage which can be caused by pigs. Not all farmers use pig rings, and there is some debate over the use of nose rings in pigs.

Unlike cattle rings, which are inserted through a piercing made by a veterinarian, pig nose rings are usually simply clipped on. The ring makes it hard to root, because it gets in the way of the nose and causes pain if the pig persists in rubbing his or her nose in the soil. Eventually, the clip on ring may slide off, requiring replacement, and some farmers clip multiple rings onto the pig's nose to reduce the need to handle the pig for ring replacements.

When pigs are kept entirely indoors, nose rings can be critical for protecting the health of the pigs, because the pigs will become stressed and engage in rooting behavior, even if their pens are made entirely from concrete and other hard materials. A pig may scratch its nose up in the process of trying to engage in a natural behavior, raising the risk of potential infections in the pig. Nose rings can also reduce fighting among indoor pigs.

For pigs who are kept outdoors, nose rings prevent damage to pastures where the pigs range. Pigs are curious animals, and they tend to tear up confined pastures to express their boredom, and to look for items of nutritional value or interest. Using larger pastures and rotating pigs can reduce rooting damage, but nose rings may also become necessary. In areas where pigs are allowed to roam on public lands, a tradition known as pannage, nose rings may be required for loose pigs so that the animals do not damage common lands.

Some people argue that nose rings are inhumane, because they cause pain and suffering to the pigs. Inhibiting a natural behavior can create psychological problems, especially in pigs which are kept in close quarters, and the use of nose rings also prevents pigs from supplementing their diet with nutrition they find in the earth, which can be a major problem if pigs are not fed a balanced diet. Other people argue that nose rings are sometimes a necessary part of pig husbandry, and that when installed competently, they should not cause undue distress.

 

[firefighter9208]

Eddie,

If you look closely at the pig in this picture you can see the rings. He has two types in. The regular "hog rings" are clipped to the top of his snout. The "Humane Ring" is clipped to the center of the snout.

They can and will come out. There are different sizes.

Here's a link to an online place to buy the rings and pliers. Livestock Supplies at Jeffers Livestock: Livestock Supply, Livestock Supplies, Livestock Vaccines, Livestock Supply Stores, Discount Livestock Supplies, Livestock Equipment, Goat Supply, Rabbit Supply, Livestock Fencing, Fence Supplies and Farm Suppl . They are inexpensive.

 

[Redbug]

That's pretty interesting Firefighter, Earplug. I never knew about nose rings for hogs. I only thought they were used on cattle, (bulls and such).

Funny thing, in the big city I see people wearing them too...

 

[6sunset6]

I may as well chip in with my two cents. I raised 4 pigs a year for 4 years.
They root for trace minerals by ripping up large areas. I put mine on a concrete platform, 3' off the ground with chain link fence around the platform. The height allowed us to hose off the manure and shovel it up.
Maybe 6-8 ft wide and 18' deep. The back end had a house for shade and the rear fence section came away so I could back up a pickup. I fed them Agway pig feed . It had minerals in it. Usually had to worm them once. Never had a vet. I had a nipple waterer set up so they could drink when ever they wanted. A favorite pastime was to go down and hose them down. We got them in April and fed them around 600 or maybe 800 # of feed.
225# is market weight. That is the point on the feed vs weight gain curve where the curve flattens out. It' s around 6 months after I got them. They were 6-8 weeks old I think, weaned and castrated. Oct they went. Cracked corn for a week or two at the end. Puts some fat into the meat, other wise it is kind of dry. I think the feed was $8 a sack . 100# sacks ? Could not lift one now. At the end a sack of feed lasted a couple of days. The financials are such that if you breed the pigs and buy the feed or buy the pigs and grow the feed , you can make money. IF you buy both you can only sell two for the cost of raising 3 and get yours for free. The 4th one went to an early pig roast. What made this work was a couple of people selling piglets, an Agway nearby and a certified slaughter house also nearby. The slaughter house shut down and that ended it. We had a lot of fun and ate really well.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I noticed that the pig has replaced the cute picture of you and your wife in your avatar. Is there something to that?

 

[dcyrilc]

Funny thing, in the big city I see people wearing them too...

Every time I see that, I can't help but wonder if they will lead by the ring as well as my cattle will.:laughing:

 

[clemsonfor]

Eddie i too have bought stealth cams but i get 1.5 seasons out of them. Thats why i wont buy them anymore. I tried wildgame, their first years was i think 2 seasons ago i got the 4 mg IR one. I think 1 set of batteries on an active site set to trigger every 1 min will last almost all deer season, i got 1K plus pics and did not kill a set more than 3/4 of the way. Since it has the clips internally broken so i had to mod it to take those 6v rechargables that you buy at walmart. That battery should last all year, but i will rechare every few months. You can mod any camera to use them and not have to buy the crazy $50-100 battery packs.

 

[EddieWalker]

I noticed that the pig has replaced the cute picture of you and your wife in your avatar. Is there something to that?

There is a thread out there somewhere on this, but Steph and I divorced and she's remarried.

The avatar is just for fun. Oscar is something new for me, and for the time being, I'm enjoying the attention he creates!!!!

Eddie

 

[Iplayfarmer]

There is a thread out there somewhere on this, but Steph and I divorced and she's remarried.

The avatar is just for fun. Oscar is something new for me, and for the time being, I'm enjoying the attention he creates!!!!

Eddie

The pic of Oscar is pretty cute. My kids love seeing it when I post from home.