Pig talk

[sea2summit]

So we've been talking about getting a cow or a few pigs for a while and finally picked up two pigs. We have about 2 acres fenced that the goats haven't been able to escape from so I figured pigs should be okay until they get big enough that they can damage the fence by leaning on it. So got the little bacon seeds and turned them loose.

Question is about feed and any additional care.

So food, we fed them a minimal amount when we brought them home but other than that they have been going crazy tearing up all the vegetation in the back yard, which is a good thing, and eating guinea fowl eggs they find or the children collect for them. Do they "need" more food if they are foraging all day? Figured toward the end I'd add a lot more grain/corn/etc to finish them off but if they'll eat for free I'm all about that.

They seem pretty low maintenance right now which has me nervous because I've never had an animal auto pilot all the way to the table without some sort of major infrastructure issue

 

[CobyRupert]

Most of what I've read says they can't thrive from grass alone (i.e. unlike a cow, they only have one stomach, so much of the fiber just passes through); they also require some protein and additional feed.

 

[EddieWalker]

They will quickly run out of food in that small of an area and break through your fence when they get hungry. I give mine corn and 13 percent protein every day, plus leftovers and apples. He has a five acre pasture that's opened up during the day for another 7 acres that he shares with 5 horses and 3 goats.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Wow! Brings back a lot of memories. When I was in FFA, I raised a project pig, a Berkshire to be exact, and fed him corn chops (that's what we called cracked corn back then), supplement pellets and table scraps.

 

[sea2summit]

They will quickly run out of food in that small of an area and break through your fence when they get hungry. I give mine corn and 13 percent protein every day, plus leftovers and apples. He has a five acre pasture that's opened up during the day for another 7 acres that he shares with 5 horses and 3 goats.

One pig is tearing up 13 acres?

Already planned on supplementing or straight up feeding them if they start doing too much damage but for now I'm happy to let them run. Sounds like I'll need to add more protine though.

 

[EddieWalker]

He doesn't tear it all up, but what he does root up is substatial. He tends to do areas about 50x50 and will leave holes or pits up to 2 feet deep. Then he finds another area to destroy. His favorite game is breaking up concrete. He digs down around the edges and keeps at it until he breaks it apart or pulls it out of the ground

 

[jerrybob]

Reminds me of the old story.........

A man is driving down a deserted country road when he has a blowout.

Not having a spare he finally finds a house and asks the lady if he can use her phone to call for a tow-truck.

As she opens the door for him to come in, a Three Legged Pig runs out.

He asks "why does that Pig only have three legs?"

She says that they had a fire one night and that pig actually woke everybody up and then went back and brought the dog out before the house burnt to the ground.

He said "but why does the Pig only have three legs?"

She said well another time my son was playing on the ice pond and it broke and he fell in and that Pig ran to the barn and got a rope and saved him.

Again he asked "why does the Pig only have three legs?"

And she said "After all that Pig did for us, it just didn't seem right to eat him all at once."


Don't forget to tip your waiter!

 

[EarPlug]

Basically you are letting them be feral. The is a big difference in a feral pig and one raised for the table. They need to be fed properly

Raising Pigs for Meat - Sustainable Farming - MOTHER EARTH NEWS

How to Raise a Pig for Meat - Countryside

 

[joefromga]

If you let them eat wooded area plants instead of feed they will taste gamey.

Experienced cleaners can remove that scent vein in their back legs which is supposed to avoid the gamey taste and of course quick-kill is good practice but you have to know what you're doing.

 

[kthompson]

Hogs can and will eat such a varied diet it can amaze you. If you can get for free: old produce or bread they will eat it. If you have oak trees with acorns they will eat that also. They will also eat some meats. Not sure would want them to eat any meat for their is a worm I think but something that hogs can have that can kill you if the pork is not properly cooked. But agree two acres will not have enough food on it for them.