Baymule's Pigs 2017-2018

[baymule]

We raised the first batch of feeder pigs in the fall through spring. We raked up tiny pecans at the city park and acorns in our yard. They got a coffee can of them every day.

 

[Mini Horses]

Around here you better be standing there with a bucket when the acorn falls or the deer will have it gone by morning. LOL BUT I'm in the part of VA that raises a lot of P-nuts and there is a sheller/packer about a mile away. So I got a few bags of the sweepings and blown out shells. The pigs and goats loved me!!

I can buy rounds of P-nut vines but, only do that if we didn't have rain on them first. They do have more some dirt on the roots but most is knocked off as the picker grabs them after being upturned. If the farmer gets them baled and we've had good weather, it's some high protein forage. My cattle and donkeys fought over it.

 

[CrealCritter]

Well I decided I'm going to build a pig pen and i'm looking to buy two bacon seeds this spring. I'm going to put in a third garden which will start out as a pig pen. How do I find a few feeder piglets and how much should I expect to pay per piglet?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'd keep checking Craigslist...

 

[CrealCritter]

I'd keep checking Craigslist...

Looks like $40 - $50 per piglet is the average in my area. I really need help though what breed is good for meat? I would think a spring piglet would be best, raised through the summer and butchered in the fall?

https://carbondale.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=pig&sort=rel

 

[NH Homesteader]

these guys look good- https://carbondale.craigslist.org/grd/d/8-feeder-pigs/6293333930.html

https://carbondale.craigslist.org/for/d/feeder-pigs/6310481076.html

These guys look great!
https://carbondale.craigslist.org/grd/d/duroc-berkshire-cross-pigs/6291808160.html

I would get the last ones, but going price here is around $100/head so that price is good with me. Look for alert eyes, curly tails and a pig with a good amount of heftiness to them.

Meat pigs: duroc, Gloucestershire old spot, berkshire, Yorkshire, poland China, chester white, Hampshire, red wattle, mulefoot... It's early, I'm missing someone. Also the guinea hogs, smaller lard type hogs.

All are good in their own rights. I don't like Yorkshires, they're not as hardy. Some are fattier than others. Duroc is a muscular breed that is great bred in with some of the other breeds to decrease fattiness.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Those are some good lookin' pigs! I don't think you could go wrong with either.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Also, most places spring piglets will be more expensive. Well maybe not in Texas... But anyplace that has winter, lol. I've raised pigs over the winter in NH, it gets expensive because they use up plenty of grain just staying warm. Warmer places are easy to do winter pigs.

 

[CrealCritter]

Also, most places spring piglets will be more expensive. Well maybe not in Texas... But anyplace that has winter, lol. I've raised pigs over the winter in NH, it gets expensive because they use up plenty of grain just staying warm. Warmer places are easy to do winter pigs.

Also, most places spring piglets will be more expensive. Well maybe not in Texas... But anyplace that has winter, lol. I've raised pigs over the winter in NH, it gets expensive because they use up plenty of grain just staying warm. Warmer places are easy to do winter pigs.

Makes perfect sense to me. Do you have to supply them with supplemental heat in the winter? How much ground and housing / shelter space are needed per pig?

 

[NH Homesteader]

Nope on the heat. They're like big heaters, they sleep in the snow often! They like to have hay to sleep in though. Piglets get cold though, so best to not get them in the coldest time of year (although people do)

Hmm I would have to look up the minimums because we just give them as much space as possible. At the recommendation of a friend our gilt will have an 8'x8' stall for farrowing plus full time outside access. You don't need that much for meat hogs.