![]() Raising Pigs on Pasture–What We’ve Learned ![]() We installed stainless steel, automatic water nipples on a giant lidded tub so the pigs had free access to clean water and we only have to refill the tub a few times a week. How to Ensure Pigs on Pasture Have Access to Fresh Water ![]() This is one like ours, just a single feeder. All we had to do was check in on how filled it was a few times a week and the food stays nice and dry yet the pigs can feed on demand. More on this below.) How to Feed Pigs on Pasture, Automatically This way it’s easy for us to take them to new pasture or wooded area whenever they’ve exhausted their food supply or we just want another area cleared. Since they learned to back up when they feel (or just smell) the electric, they never test the boundaries. If we just installed the electric fencing from the beginning (without a cattle fencing barrier outside the electric) they would quickly learn (pigs are smart) that they can push through the zap of pain and be on the other side.īut by the time they are a month old, we can have a much larger pasture area ready for them to free-range that is completely surrounded by only electric fencing. This way, when they got zapped they had to respond by backing away, since the fencing was on the other side. Week two, we installed electric fencing inside the cattle fencing. The first week, we put the piglets inside a cattle fencing area we had set up. We gradually introduced the piglets to the electric fencing. Three things come to mind that we did right out of the box that worked very well for us: How to Introduce Pigs to Electric Fencing Yorkshire/Landrace/Duroc crosses are very successful for us, here in New England. The piglet survival rate and growth is excellent with many crossbreeds and, in short, cross breeding can produce heartier, healthier offspring with fewer health issues. What breed of pig do we raise on pasture? It’s especially important to know the breed is well suited to your climate. Bonus, you’ll be helping to preserve the blood lines. You may want to consider a heritage breed if you prefer a distinct meat flavor. But keep in mind that pigs, in general, are great foragers.īelieve it or not, there is a slight difference in taste among breeds. A few breeds that are known to excel at foraging: Berkshire, Tamworth, Mulefoot, and Choctaw. Two benefits to pigs who forage well? You spend less money in pig food and the meat is improved in flavor. If you have small children you may want to search out the calmest, friendliest breeds. During cold months, pigs eat more and conserve all their energy to stay warm and they won’t put on weight, which means higher feed costs and less meat in your freezer. Also, if you live in a climate, like we do, with a short summer season, there’s great advantage to growing your pigs out before cold weather sets in. The longer a pig takes to reach market weight, the more feed it will consume, which of course increases the cost of the average meal you’re putting on your family’s table. You may want smaller sized, to be easier to control, or larger, for more food when processed.ĭifferent breeds mature at different rates. Things you may want to consider when choosing what pig breed (or crossbreed) to raise: ![]() If you’re just starting out on the exciting adventure of raising your own pork, your first step will probably be choosing your pig breed. Some PIG highlights on my instagram that you may like:.How many acres do you need per pig to pasture?.How long does it take to pasture raise a pig?.Answers to your questions about pasture raised pigs….Raising Pigs on Pasture–What We’ve Learned.How to Ensure Pigs on Pasture Have Access to Fresh Water.How to Feed Pigs on Pasture, Automatically.How to Introduce Pigs to Electric Fencing.Raising Pigs on Pasture–What Works Well.What breed of pig do we raise on pasture?.
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