HELP my 1st Pig

[NH Homesteader]

Also when their belly starts dragging when they walk. That would be a bad sign, lol

 

[CrealCritter]

He does look healthier. Do you know how to tell if a pot belly is overweight? Stand over them and look straight down- if their belly sticks out much to the sides, they're too fat. They're not supposed to carry their weight that direction but will if they eat too much!

So it's the same as Dunlop tires check then? My belly dunlopped over my belt.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Lol you could say that I suppose. He won't gain so much on corn, it's what 8% protein I think?

You going to be cool with butchering him yourself?

 

[CrealCritter]

Lol you could say that I suppose. He won't gain so much on corn, it's what 8% protein I think?

You going to be cool with butchering him yourself?

I think I'll be OK butchering him. I've butchered 2 farrow hogs before so I'm just a beginner. Corn is low protein yes for sure.

 

[baymule]

Soak the corn in water for several days to sour it. It is easier to digest. Hard dry corn doesn't fully digest and will show up in the poop. I am soaking the corn I'm feeding our hogs, plus adding whey. I have 7 buckets going. I pour some of the sour water into the next bucket to get it going. They actually eat less, are satisfied instead of screaming for more and I don't see chunks of corn in their poop.

Normally I don't corn feed pigs, but these had been corn fed all their lives and rejected pellets.

 

[CrealCritter]

Update on chopper. That boy is a mess... Now that it's cooled off some. Looking out the window I can sometimes catch him covered up with chickens. He finds a corner to lay down and the chickens lay on top of him and against him. I was in the kitchen and looked out the window I did see choppy. I said to my wife did choppy get out? She said no he in the corner of the chicken yard covered up with chickens. Sure enough she was right... She told me he's been doing this about a week now. I've been trying to get a picture of this but everytime he sees me - he jumps up to meet me at the gate. I've also seen hens riding around on his back.

Anyways, 2 more weeks and he's going in the deep freezer.

 

[sumi]

I would love to see him covered up in chickens like that! They are probably sharing body heat with him, taking his and keeping him warm in return. So sweet.

You guys mentioned corn earlier in the thread… I used to put some cracked corn in an old pot, fill it with water, bring it to boil (just) and turn the heat off. I then wrapped the pot in an old towel and left it overnight. The towel helped keep the heat in longer and the corn soaked up the water in the pot, leaving a nice "porridge" for the pigs, which I sometimes mixed with a bit of water and dry dog food to fatten them up and condition them better for slaughter.

 

[Beekissed]

Soak the corn in water for several days to sour it. It is easier to digest. Hard dry corn doesn't fully digest and will show up in the poop. I am soaking the corn I'm feeding our hogs, plus adding whey. I have 7 buckets going. I pour some of the sour water into the next bucket to get it going. They actually eat less, are satisfied instead of screaming for more and I don't see chunks of corn in their poop.

Normally I don't corn feed pigs, but these had been corn fed all their lives and rejected pellets.

It's a great thing, to ferment their grain first. It changes the sugars in the corn to a more readily used nutrient and they are able to use the whole grain in that manner. I'm betting you are smelling a difference in their manure as well. Works that way for my chickens.

Another way I could tell that no more waste grain was coming through undigested....the dogs stopped eating the chicken manure. No nutrition to be found there any longer.

 

[baymule]

I'm betting you are smelling a difference in their manure as well.

No STINK!!! Uh-MAZE-ing!!

 

[baymule]

2 weeks......PORK CHOPS!!!