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| We are considering adding some type of pasture pigs to our farm, either large black hogs or another breed that feeds on pasture. We have about 12 acres that is partially wooded but mostly open pasture. I did some research, but I still have some questions that I was hoping someone could share their experience with me. Our goal is to provide food for our family and maybe sell or trade the surplus. How much land do you need for each pig? Do they have the same odor issues that you have with pigs kept in smaller pens? would cattle panel fencing wtih Tposts work to keep them in, or do you need electric fencing? THANKS!
M. and D.
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We don't have experiance with pasture pigs but do with Hampshires and Yorkshires. We have considered pasturing them a bit. If you watch a pig they'll graze if they have a chance pasture or not. But we have no odor issues with our pigs who are penned. They've never raised a problem so I wouldn't worry unless you have alot of pigs in a very small area. But for fencing if you start with piglets you'll need the hog panels that have smaller gaps in the bottom, but with feeders and up normal cattle panels would be fine. We have wood posts just because they're more solid, but some of our friends use T-Posts. Do you want to breed them or just raise butcher hogs?
There are two types of people:Those who can walk away from the farm and those who cannot. Those who can walk away should not walk but run to a much easier lifestyle.
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| Like the above if you use cattle panel you can do what we did and run chicken wire at the bottom. Then we used hog rings to keep the chicken wire close to the panel. Down side of using the chicken wire is the following: it will rust in time, over time it will get clogged up and want allow drainage. With P2's pen we did t-post every 4 ft and depending on the gauge of wire that the cattle panel is made out of you may get to go every 5 ft if it's the thicker gauge. P2's 1st pen was 14'x14' we dug a shovel deep trench set the panels in, the attached the chicken wire and back filled with cement, due to it being on the side of the hill. We added anotherr 14' when Gilbert/Spot left and Ruby/Garent came in. Going to add another hopefully 100' to the pen in Nov, due to the Hereford hogs coming in. We will use the farm fencing that comes in 300' roll, once agin dig a shovel deep trench set it in use the chicken wire, t-post and cement. Our corners are the 4x4x10's incase we need to make shelters in the corners. We do not have any electric fence, but may need a run if we get a boar to keep at the end of the extension. Good luck, I do believe that you could use any breed on the pasture, however no matter which breed you use they will root.
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| thanks...I am not sure yet about keeping a boar, but ultimately it might be necessary for breeding. None of our neighbors have pigs so this will be a new addition for our farm 'neighborhood'! I think at this point we've decided to wait until early spring. I don't see how we can get everything ready before the winter sets in. thanks!
M. and D.
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If you can I would suggest getting pigs in the fall. September is a good time. Pigs do not handel heat very well and trying to grow them in the summer is hard. We got our first pig in September and another in March. The September one gained weight much faster and was ready to breed sooner because of that. With pigs if you can get an automatic water we recommend it or one with a nipple for them to drink off of. They love to dump water pans. We just got our first automatic water for the pigs and it's heaven sent. And we're going why didn't we do this before ? But good luck it sounds like you're ready!
There are two types of people:Those who can walk away from the farm and those who cannot. Those who can walk away should not walk but run to a much easier lifestyle.
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We keep all of our herds on pasture and have done so for some time. IMO there is no better way to do it. But, I could write a book on this so, for brevity's sake, I'll answer your specific questions for now.
"How much land do you need for each pig?"
On a rotational grazing pattern you can have ten mature hogs (and a bunch of piglets) per acre rotating about every month. If you don't rotate I would not raise more than ten per three acres. This is because you don't want the pasture to suffer and become a dry lot. You need to manage the hog's grazing so they don't kill off the vegetation. Also, if you don't rotate, internal parasites can become a problem. Rooting is not a problem until they have grazed off most of the vegetation or during wet periods when the ground gets soggy.
We have two herds of about 24 mature hogs each (varies as we buy and sell). We make their paddocks around two acres each per herd and move them when the hogs have eaten all of the clover and the grass is eaten to the level where the leaves start to form.
All of our paddocks are half pasture and half woods. This provides the hogs with better variety in their diets, shelter and a more interesting environment.
"Do they have the same odor issues that you have with pigs kept in smaller pens?"
Hogs on pasture, if rotated, don't have an odor problem. Their manure doesn't build up like it does in pens. We also free range chickens with the hogs which do a great job at breaking up the manure and spreading it out, allowing it to compost faster.
"Would cattle panel fencing wtih Tposts work to keep them in, or do you need electric fencing?"
Yes but that is far too expensive of a solution and requires way too much work. Electric fence is a far better solution. Once trained to electric fence you can keep all your hogs in with two or three strands, depending on the mix of sizes.
We use plastic posts and polywire. Two strands has worked well for us. One about six inches from the ground and the other about a foot and a half from the ground. Our herds consist of piglets, yearling pigs and mature breeders. These two strands keep them all in (except for the very young piglets, but they don't wander far and run back to mama when something comes around).
The advantage of plastic poles and polywire is that it is reusable and easily moved. I rotate the paddocks by just pulling the poles and stretching the wire to the new position.
If necessary you can also step on the wires to cross the fence (it stretches). Can't do that with steel wire or cattle panels.
We use a mixture of solar chargers and plug-in chargers to power the fences.
Please ask any other questions you may have and I'll be happy to give advice here. :)
Brian Wright
Large Black and Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs
Raised humanely on pasture
Homegrown Acres
Heritage Hog Blog
HomegrownAcres@gmail.com
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BTW, spring is the best time to get pigs if you are going to pasture them. The pasture will be growing with fresh and nutritious food for them. You will have all summer and fall to let them grow to butcher size without having to feed them through the winter.
But choose your breeds wisely. Heritage breeds are best on pasture as they retain their ability to more efficiently convert pasture into pork. More modern breeds don't do nearly as well.
Also choose pigs with colored skin. White pigs sunburn (even in winter). Choose a red, tan or black skinned pig breed.
It's true that pigs don't handle heat well but they also don't handle cold well. Out on pasture you will need to provide some shade for them (a bent over cattle panel covered with a tarp will do fine; also trees work well). Pigs don't sweat like we do so they need water to help rid themselves of excess body heat. If you have a pond, let them have it. If not, take your tractor bucket and dig them a shallow wallow in a place where it will catch rain runoff. If you don't have rain then stretch a water hose.
I put large tubs out for their water and run hoses to them. Then I dig a wallow on the downslope side of the water tubs. When I water the hogs I let the water run out of the filled tub into the wallows. Pigs are very good at sealing ponds so in a short time the wallow holds water well. Place their water and wallows under shade and it will last longer.
Brian Wright
Large Black and Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs
Raised humanely on pasture
Homegrown Acres
Heritage Hog Blog
HomegrownAcres@gmail.com
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| What about in the cold...what do they need. I live on the north eastern plains of colorado. Winters are really a mix here. Can get really cold, but the wind is sure to blow. How do I keep them warm? I have enough property to do as I please with, however there are some buildings that I have that aren't being used that I would like to convert. I want to keep enough to feed my family, and maybe barter the excess with my "neighbor". How many should I keep for a breeding program or would it be best just to buy hogs. I might even consider grinding it up as dog food if it is cost effective. Thanks in advance.
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Our winters get fairly cold here; last winter we had weeks below zero.
We have lots of "shelters" ranging from old dog houses to reused grape crates (turned upside down). Mature pigs will do fine if they have shelter from the wind and some way for them to huddle together. Piglets will do okay if they have big pigs to lay with, but piglets can freeze quickly without that.
The key is to provide them with lots of hay. They will burrow into it and use the hay as insulation from the cold. In the past we would put round bales out and cut the cords so the pigs could make mounds out of them. This winter we are going to try a new idea. We are going to use several round bales to build circular huts, cover the tops with cattle panels and tarps or square bales and put a couple of feet of hay inside. In this way more pigs can huddle together and share body warmth. During the day the hogs will forage but at night and during storms they will huddle in their shelters. The hay doesn't need to be good hay; you can use cheap mixed grass.
You also need to remember to always have clean water available. This is difficult and can require a lot of buckets... Just be sure that their wallows are shallow so that any pig or piglet that breaks through the ice can easily escape.
As for breeding it really depends on what you can use and sell. One mature sow will produce two litters of ten or so piglets each year. Breeding is more expensive than buying if you just want pork for your family. Most folks buy weaned piglets in the spring and butcher them in the fall.
Brian Wright
Large Black and Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs
Raised humanely on pasture
Homegrown Acres
Heritage Hog Blog
HomegrownAcres@gmail.com
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| Thanks for the help. The coldest it gets in the winter is -40 and it don't stay that way for long. I'm sure it won't get that cold at our "new" place though. We are alot lower in elevation there. I think it is only 4000ft vs 9500 ft at our old place.
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