Pigs

WARRIORWELDING

WARRIORWELDING

Owner opperator Of WarriorWelding LLC.
Joined
Jan 6, 2008
Location
Chillin, Hwy 64 Mocksville NC
Didn't know if this should go in vittles or here on this topic but here goes.

How many of you folk raise Pigs?

I am currently gathering info on raising, farrowing, and the whole nine. Generally considering Swine before Cows for a few reasons. Probably gonna start with 5 feeders and learn the ropes. To be clear I'm not talking Pot Bellies. I am speaking toward 280 to 300 lbs finish weights.

Suggestions of any type welcome. Breed, feed, reproduction methods, pasture types, fencing, ect.
 
Nasty , filthy, stinking, delicious animals.
 
I like my KuneKune pigs, they produce some excellent marbled meat, donā€™t really root or tear up your land, they are great in a pasture of grass
 
Do your homework and raise Kune Kune. They are a heritage breed pig. Butcher weight for boar is about 275-300. The meat is FAR superior to a standard production pig. Only thing is that the growth cycle is slower. Pm or text (304) 777-6888 and we can discuss more about options.

End of the day Kune is a WAY better pork option with way less headache.
 
skyhighZJ said:
Do your homework and raise Kune Kune. They are a heritage breed pig. Butcher weight for boar is about 275-300. The meat is FAR superior to a standard production pig. Only thing is that the growth cycle is slower. Pm or text (304) 777-6888 and we can discuss more about options.

End of the day Kune is a WAY better pork option with way less headache.
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Awesome I will reach out.
 
@JNO I plan to pasture them in grass woods mix. As for rooting and digging I'm actually looking to get some of that action. Reason being I want to clear some area out. It will take time but bacon seeds make great soil cultivators and will clean out scrubby areas.
 
Kune Kune is another breed of many I've never heard of.....like the rest.

@skyhighZJ and @JNO I am way new to the learning.

I may have a source to buy weened piglets from a school. Guy I'm working with on a source said something about buying from an auction house meant it had to go to slaughter!?! Sounded really odd. Anyways I'm clueless on buying much less the rest.
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
Kune Kune is another breed of many I've never heard of.....like the rest.

@skyhighZJ and @JNO I am way new to the learning.

I may have a source to buy weened piglets from a school. Guy I'm working with on a source said something about buying from an auction house meant it had to go to slaughter!?! Sounded really odd. Anyways I'm clueless on buying much less the rest.
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@WARRIORWELDING I see a lot on the list of Craigā€™s for sale, prices are kinda all over the place for them, they do root some just not as much as your common hogs do, I donā€™t have any for sale at the time but let me know when you are ready and I will try my best to help you anyway I can and Iā€™m sure @skyhighZJ would do the same
 
We have a mess of young boar and gilts at the farm right now from this spring. Depending on your time frame I can ask the wife what the plan is but we have discussed selling some of them.
 
CasterTroy said:
I raised 2 girls and a boy.

The boy was never a problem, but both girls were a step above a pig both in their rooms and their cars šŸ˜¬
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People said iIwas lucky with 2 girls because they didn't eat as much .......
We NEVER had food in the house because they ate 24/7!!!

But it sounds like you might want to consider goats.
3-4 will get you a free herd in a few years.
Clean out the scrubby stuff? They'll eat a car if it sits still long enough!
Cooked right, the meat is good .... just befriend an old country greek or a Mexican.
They just don't make bacon. :(
 
This is our 2nd year raising pigs. I currently have 4 Mulefoot crosses. 2 are going to the processor in a month, and I am considering farrowing for the spring cuz feeders arent always the easiest to find. Large pigs will eat alot and dig up alot as well. It will take ~10months to get one to ~300lb, for a standard hog. You are welcome to come by for a chat, or give me a ring. I have learned alot in the past few years.
 
Lizooki said:
People said iIwas lucky with 2 girls because they didn't eat as much .......
We NEVER had food in the house because they ate 24/7!!!

But it sounds like you might want to consider goats.
3-4 will get you a free herd in a few years.
Clean out the scrubby stuff? They'll eat a car if it sits still long enough!
Cooked right, the meat is good .... just befriend an old country greek or a Mexican.
They just don't make bacon. :(
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Nope on goats.
 
I raise 2-3, usually every other winter(takes me that long to empty the freezers). I really enjoy it, and love having a freezer full of pork. generally, its very easy. i feed once a day, and keep them with clean water. I have tight fences on my pig lot, but generally they respond pretty good to electric if your fences aren't as robust.

I usually buy feeders in september and process in march/april
 
R Q said:
How do ya'll slaughter? Take it somewhere or?
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I take them to a local processor. Getting dates the last few years has been crazy, and like everything the costs are going up. I have been looking to take a class, to learn more about the butchery, so I can process here.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
I take them to a local processor. Getting dates the last few years has been crazy, and like everything the costs are going up. I have been looking to take a class, to learn more about the butchery, so I can process here.
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You find a good one I'll be happy to go to it with you.
 
We take ours to George Flowers Beef Slaughter in Sims, NC. they are USDA cert so I can sell. Their packaging is great and the turn around is very quick. They do good sausage but they only do sliced pork belly right now and not bacon (they donā€™t cure it). Honestly I like the pork belly and we have used it instead of bacon for the last couple of years.

With the Kune, they donā€™t produce a lot of pork belly but they do produce a lot of lard so that may be another venture you could get into if youā€™re interested.
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
You find a good one I'll be happy to go to it with you.
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Justin Rhodes has a YouTube channel, he's located around asheville somewhere he also does classes I'm pretty sure. Maybe not butchering but in his type of regenerative farming. Also just a few acres on YouTube has a small pig operation that my help.

There is some other guy on there that broke down how he started his pig farm and is making 60,000 a year on like 20 acres raising pigs
 
I've got a few friends that raise pigs, their problem has been finding someone to process them. Learn to do that, seems like a good business to get into right now because you can name your price.

Anyways, every time I see this thread I get pink floyd stuck in my head for a day.
 
Been watching Sheraton Park Farms videos like a kid stuck on Cinemax in the 80's, LOL!
 
Iā€™m not going to post it up because I donā€™t want the big guys to innundate my local but if someone needs a good processor let me know. Weā€™ve got a place locally they raise their own hogs and process for others
 
Loganwayne said:
Justin Rhodes has a YouTube channel, he's located around asheville somewhere he also does classes I'm pretty sure. Maybe not butchering but in his type of regenerative farming. Also just a few acres on YouTube has a small pig operation that my help.

There is some other guy on there that broke down how he started his pig farm and is making 60,000 a year on like 20 acres raising pigs
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WARRIORWELDING said:
Been watching Sheraton Park Farms videos like a kid stuck on Cinemax in the 80's, LOL!
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I watch some of both of them as well. Justin Rhodes does offer classes, but the cost is pretty steep. I actually have his videos/documentaries of the processing, which is helpful, but not like getting your hands in there. Sheraton Park does a pig workshop, which I have thought about taking. So does Jordan Greene. But both of them use processors so they can sell the meat, so I have not pulled the trigger yet. There are some other workshops I have seen, offered by YTers, but they all go into the charcuterie cuts and such. Billy at PermaPastures Farm has done a few of them, and I might just have to drive to TN to go to his class next time he has one. If I had the time, I would try to get a PT job at a local butcher for a while.

braxton357 said:
I've got a few friends that raise pigs, their problem has been finding someone to process them. Learn to do that, seems like a good business to get into right now because you can name your price.

Anyways, every time I see this thread I get pink floyd stuck in my head for a day.
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It has been a problem for sure, especially at the USDA facilities. NC requires that the hogs have to be inspected, to sell cuts. A few friends have looked into that, and the hoops are pretty daunting to get it started. There are some local "Custom houses" that have dates, alot sooner, but you cant sell cuts. From my understanding, it is the butchery and packaging that takes all the time. If you have a legal butcher, apparently you can get them inspected and dispatched pretty quick, if you dont need them cut.
 
Loganwayne said:
There is some other guy on there that broke down how he started his pig farm and is making 60,000 a year on like 20 acres raising pigs
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Joel Salatin... after watching his vids, reading some of docs, and speaking with some old timers... IMHO, 30% prophet/70% used car salesman.
His numbers on that $60k/20 acres gloss over the fencing/hardware costs (you'll not find it for 1/20th of his number) and totally skips other "infrastructure" (equipment, etc.) that are "must haves" and assumed you already have access to (how to move TONS of supplemental feed or how to haul them to process)
 
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