Most people will start their pigs out on an 16% protein feed then as the pigs get older you can go to a lower protein (less expensive) feed. Everyone seems to have their favorite choice or is excited to try out for themselves a breed they read about online. You determine the ideal finishing weight. Any stressful conditions including weather like a crazy hot spell or a super cold snap will effect the comfort and therefore the growth of your pigs. Cross bred animals are generally a little bit tougher and faster growing than an purebred animal. Buy healthy, spunky feeder pigs. Pigs love snacks like hay and garden scraps. Important Note: Have all of your supplies laid out and ready before you start dealing with the pig. The most common cross bred feeder pig available is called a "blue butt", which are piglets from a white sow bred to a colored boar. Piglets for sale in ohio. Great question, actually! If you want a pet pig that will stay smaller get a pot bellied pig or smaller yet a mini pig.
First off, I doubt they have feeder pigs available for sale to the public and secondly, these are not the type of pigs you are looking for. 22 because that is convenient for us, use whatever is most comfortable for you. When I write local pig farm, I mean hands on family farmer, not an industrial pork production facility that happens to be close to your house. The main point here is you get to choose. They love to have a few extras to eat now and again. Purchasing your first feeder pigs from the farmer will give you a good idea of how he raises his pigs so you will know what your pig is used to. 5-5 months from feeder pig size. Feeder piglets for sale in ohio 2021. You can plan on spending $50 per feeder pig at an auction. You will also need sharp knives to skin it and a loader tractor with a chain. Both choices have advantages and disadvantages.
Which breed of feeder pig is best? Have these pigs been outside or kept inside? Your pigs will dress out at 72% of slaughter weight. There is plenty of information available online, our first time we used the directions in a book-worked great! If you decide to go to an auction get there early so you have time to look around. Feeder pigs can be purchased from a local small farmer, online ads or an auction. Comfortable pigs will gain weight faster. Feeder pigs for sale in pa. What on earth was I thinking letting them get that big? Blue butts are a commonly available and reasonably priced feeder pig that would work great as your first pig to raise for meat. Additional information is available in this support article. Call the auction and see what they can set up for you. Good air flow and some sunshine and they will be happy. Get cross breed feeder pigs. Yes as long as it is legal in your area and you are willing to let the pig root up your yard.
Buy feeder pigs from a farm, if you can. The specific cross doesn't matter but you'll be best served by getting pigs that other people are growing in your area. If you purchased your pigs at 60 pounds they will finish out for you in about 3. They grow fairly quickly and yield quite a bit of meat for your efforts. Start your pigs on a 16% feed. When your pigs are stressed it will take them longer to reach their finished weight. Buy at least two feeder pigs.
We have weekly livestock auctions in our area so this is the easiest choice for us. If you like your pigs larger (we do) it will take longer to reach processing weight. If you can get at least two so your pigs will be happy. They should be spunky, well grown and not have any obvious health problems. Best Breed Of Pigs For Beginners goes into more detail about why some breeds are easier to raise than others.
Think about what it is that you want most and feed your pigs accordingly. Save your passwords securely with your Google Account. This will make the transition to your farm easier on the pig. Keep their feeder full. You'll get 120 pounds of meat from a 250 pound pig. Pigs also are one of the easiest animals to keep because they can be penned up just about anywhere you have some space. First off you will need to kill the pig, no surprise there! Try to get pigs from a farm that is raising their pigs the way you plan to raise yours.
The skinning, if you are doing it, needs to be done immediately. Most pigs reach the 250 pound processing weight at 5 to 6 months old. If you can't attend the auction and are not overly picky about what you get, the auction has a buyer that can bid for you.