NH Homesteader's journal

[NH Homesteader]

Absolutely! We have 5 acres to split up between the goats and pigs.

 

[lcertuche]

Question for the 'experts all things hog'. DH found a 300 pound, what I believe to be a boar for sale for $200. I'm thinking he would dress out at least 150 pounds but is boar meat good for anything besides sausage. It is a large Black hog if that makes a difference.

 

[NH Homesteader]

It depends on who you ask. That's the short answer. Some say boars taste terrible. Others say only some boars have taint. If you look up Sugar Mountain farm in Vermont, he wrote a LOT on this subject. He is breeding out boar taint in his pigs because he does not want to castrate all of his males. A lot of places overseas do not castrate.

He also describes how to test for taint. It does involve poking a hole in the poor pig so perhaps can't be done before you buy him, lol.

There are some threads over on BYH on this subject as well.

I think it would matter how old he is and how much he's been used for breeding. Also, from what I understand it does matter how they are kept. If they are kept in a small pen, their exposure to their own feces can cause taint. Pastured pigs are less likely to have taint I guess.

But, like I said, this is all secondhand. misfitmorgan over at BYH knows a lot about this if you need more info!

 

[baymule]

Question for the 'experts all things hog'. DH found a 300 pound, what I believe to be a boar for sale for $200. I'm thinking he would dress out at least 150 pounds but is boar meat good for anything besides sausage. It is a large Black hog if that makes a difference.

Large Black is a good heritage breed. I raised 3 hogs last winter that were half Large Black and they were very good meat. I don't think being a boar would hurt it one bit. 300 pounds is still a young hog, so no boar taint. I say buy him, kill and skin him out. Get a bone saw and cut him up any way you want. You go girl!

 

[lcertuche]

Thanks I hope we didn't wait too long because that is a really good price, especially butchering it ourselves.

 

[baymule]

Thanks I hope we didn't wait too long because that is a really good price, especially butchering it ourselves.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Well this year has not gone as planned already. But... Everything happens for a reason whether I know that reason or not

I wethered my buckling yesterday. And since I am on the waiting list for a pygmy, who would ruin my now wether's life during rut, I now need a second buck. So I contacted the woman I got my mini alpines from, who are my best goats, and she said she would save me a registered Nigie buckling. She sells most of them as wethers so she'll pick the best one (I told her I am looking for easy keepers with good milk lines, which fortunately is also what she looks for). So I may not have milk this year but I should be set with good breeders for years after these guys grow up. Plus my minis aren't really ready to breed anyway.

Also this is a big year on the non-goat front. Garden expansion, I need to learn how to can, and beginning a new chicken and turkey breeding adventure. Plus hopefully breeding one of our gilts.

Also with these two new bucklings coming I think I have plans to retain two doelings. I think I would like to breed Peppermint, my largest doe (assuming she milks as well as I think she will) with each buckling one each of the next two years, and keep a doeling if she has one. One would be 75 Nigerian/25 Alpine and the other would be 50 pygmy/25 Alpine/25 Nigerian.we will see!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

The best laid plans...and all that! But, with NEW plans come new adventures - so push on!

 

[NH Homesteader]

I am flexible about changing plans but I'm the type of person that must have one! My husband is the opposite and won't make plans until he's prepared to make a final plan. I drive him nuts, because I always want to talk to him about everything and he's like seriously? Do you have to plan for the kids of the goats that aren't even born yet?

Yes... The answer is yes. Obviously. Lol

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'm probably the opposite! I've had plans get waylaid so many times that I'm kind of a 'seat of the pants' kinda gal. Maybe that comes with age...