Raising Hogs - Farrow to Finish on a Half Acre

[@giacobabosque4164]

Useful knowledge and information. No nonsense. To the point. Best homesteading channel on youtube !!!

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Thank you

[@deepblue7021]

As soon as I seen this I warmed my leftovers up and clicked on the video 😂

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Thanks for watching Ericka , we're going to have to get up with you one day this week

[@deepblue7021]

I have a few other good ideas for you two to do.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@deepblue7021 need to call you anyway , i'll try to if I ever get a minute free

[@deepblue7021]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay okay I look forward to speaking with you.

[@johnwood738]

Just got a chance to watch 👍. Wanted to tell you about my favorite waterer the night we talked but with everything we talked about didn’t. Tried a lot of nipples and troughs,the best I’ve found is the Trojan 75 gravity nipple kit. Comes with bulk head to fit barrel just drill 7/8s hole and bulk head fits side contour of barrel. Six inches up from bottom for little pigs and a foot for bigger,that way there’s enough wait in bottom so they can’t tip it. Cold weather put a stock tank heater in and your good.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

That's a good idea putting a heater in the barrel !

[@keithbennett5991]

Y'all have some pretty livestock

[@anthonyspicer874]

Like your pig set up... You planned your set up well👍 I always learn when I watch your channel....

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Thanks Anthony , glad to help .

[@dfishman76]

What part of NC are you in? I am in Autryville

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Lenoir co. An hour and a half or so from you

[@Wes1988]

Awesome video got some good updates for you what’s a good time to call

[@BigJoesOutdoors]

I have been breeding ahh / potbelly. And this year I am working on meat hogs I have a young Yorkshire and a Hampshire that was going to be food but didn't get time to clean she ended up being pregnant so let her have her babies and am having a blast they were crossed with potbelly from place I got her we guess. But they are doing great so getting a Hampshire bore to rebreed her to and to cross with my Yorkshire and am going to keep breeding potbelly cause people want pets too. Likes the info on your videos. Ps I am loving doing videos on her

[@LordMelathor]

I was really surprised to hear that your pigs dont get much feed, specially your main boar! only 2.5 pounds?? Im a new pig farmer, i lost my grandfather to covid in Dec and i picked up his farm and its responsibilities. I was not prepared for the amount of money id need to spend on feed every month for 5 pigs. I even had to put down the boar as it was eating way too much and i wasnt looking to have any more litter come in, two of my pigs are going to give birth soon. The farm setup is exactly like you warned about, one giant area with everything in it. There is another area fenced off, its about as big as your biggest pen you have in this video. I do want to carry on his legacy, and im worried i wont be up to it. But videos like these are what has been helping me figure it out. So thank you for the video.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Have to control the feed, it's where all the money goes. Glad to help

[@justinalbert9732]

What do you do with a boar that gets to big or old?

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Try to give them away first then put them down honestly . Never had one really get too old they're pushing too big at two and a half , the bigger your sows are the longer you can keep him

[@osbornefarms647]

Have y’all ever messed with Berkshires? We have 2 gilts a boar and a shoalt. Our shoalt’s at least 300 and is 5 months old. We’re planning on having our first litter next year.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

I've only ever had a couple of sows that had a little Berk in them but honestly the people that had them around here went to Duroc or Chester Whites the complaint I heard the most was poor mothering and small litters . That doesn't mean you'll have problems though there can be a lot of difference in lines of pigs of the same breed for example my Durocs aren't overly aggressive but some are.

[@wandapadgett9492]

Sir you tell it like it IS We raise Tamworth Burcnere Durock Cross feeder pigs seii great in springtime It Takes One Hundred Bushels Of Corn to feed One Sow and Two litters of pigs to fifty pounds keep up with How much you feed it will surprise how much you feed Good luck and keep feeding and grow old time Breeds

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Keeping track is very important no doubt. I've gotten where I write everything down the last few years

[@PastorMPBunting]

Hello great video. We r raising pigs for the 1st time. Getting ready to build another pen to spread out our 10pigs because some r getting more of the food then others. Tell me do u dig a deep trench for the fence go go in to keep the pigs from rooting out???

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

I don't bury the fence at all , might have to cut through a high spot here and there. They normally root too the fence

[@jeffshorts-td7lr]

Do you castrate your piglets? And if so can you do a video where you talk about it. I'm new to the channel but everything I seen is fantastic I love that your honest and to the point I appreciate it. Thanks

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

I try to talk about it in the next video

[@PetesLittleHomestead60]

Well I Was Subscribed But Had to redo it ! I Am Again ! Those Are Great Pens & Some good looking hogs & Pigs ! Nice Job ! Have A Great Day !

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Thank you , hope you do too

[@aarontate1667]

Finally the video I been looking for. The last several videos I’ve watched is made up of northern Yankee country wannabes and yuppie city boys with annoying accents. This video is made up of a language I understand and more than willing to listen to because Chris knows what he’s talking about. His set up is perfect and more than convenient. Truly inspiring to give me a more clear picture of what I gotta do to get the best set up possible. I’ll be watching yalls videos and saving them thank y’all so much and I appreciate it.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Glad to help !

[@carmenthompson4298]

I guess my question is after your breeding stock has reached its life do you butcher the sow and boar? What about boat taint? I was too little to remember what my own papa used to do with his.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

We make the sows into sausage, the boars not worth messing with taint is usually horrible

[@fairchaseoutdoors9092]

I really appreciate you putting this out there for everyone! One day they’ll take this from us too and everyone needs to learn to live off the land as much as they can to be ready! Very knowledgeable farmer! What’s your take on the Hereford pigs. I’ve been really thinking on getting into hogs I’ve got a 25 acre plot and been thinking on toping out a pair and if y enjoy it I may raise a litter!

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Herefords are a young breed based an durocs , they're usually fine . My problems with the people breeding them they portray them as being worth considerably more than a traditional breed and kinda rip people off . For some reason unusual color sells pigs .

[@dudewheresmyhorse625]

Super good content. I've learned a lot from watching your videos. We were thinking of just raising a couple of feeder pigs (2) just to feed the family (8 weeks to 250lbs).

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Glad to help Jake, that's the best way to go and with meat prices high you can definitely raise it cheaper . Just be careful and find some good pigs to start with

[@dejayblair7571]

Great video Pops! Hopefully y’all are well, I’ll try to get in touch with y’all soon. 👊🏼🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@katherinecade7191]

how often do you clean pig pens? by hand or with tractor? what do you do with manure? I saw you don't use it in garden

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

I never clean them , I add lime as needed to control the smell . Once you rotate the pigs out of a pen vegetation grows back fairly quickly and uses up the extra nutrients and the manure just turns into soil . But we have sandy soil with little to no organic matter that also doesn't hold water

[@jeffsanderson2737]

Do you think I should buy a bore or artificial breed when she’s old enough I only have one guilt

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

That's a good question that I don't have a good answer for . In a perfect world you'd be better off to borrow a boar than buy one AI is so hit and miss

[@ketchhomesteadoutdoors4048]

Thanks for the video. Some great info there Mr. Chris. I’ll be looking to just grow out 2-4 to butcher every year. My pen will be 36x36. Do you think that’s big enough for what I want to do? Any input much appreciated. God Bless from Missouri. @Ketch Homestead Outdoors

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Should be more than enough for 4 if it's well drained you probably could run 10

[@ketchhomesteadoutdoors4048]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay Thanks. Much appreciated for your help. God bless and stay safe

[@katwilliams2950]

@@ketchhomesteadoutdoors4048 I'm so happy you asked with specific dimensions!! I'm thinking about buying a lot that's around .23 acre and was not sure if it'd be okay to just raise a couple feeder pigs on it. Thank you so much!

[@jbaker4900]

Would love to have flat ground like that. But pigs don't care either way

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Can't tell from the video but those pens are on a pretty good hill sloping to the field but the pigs leveled it out quick

[@kjb21161]

Hey thanks for the videos, question for you, i just bought a pig the other day, I got some info but wanted to know for sure how much should i feed a 50lb pig a day if i want moderate growth? Also is 16% protein feed good enough? Can you add soybean meal for any benefit? Any help would be great. Thanks Sorry but to add on while im thinking about it, When should i start finishing a pig? im aiming for 300lbs. IS cracked corn good to finish with? What, if any should i switch the feed to from growing to finishing? Thanks

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

A 50 lb pig normally eats 5 lbs a day a 250 lb pig will eat 10 to 15 . Switch to 12 percent finishing feed at 150 lb lf you feed much straight corn keep them on them on starter feed to make up the protein or ad a little soy

[@uniqueyoutubehandle]

Your videos are so down home! I'm lookin to start raisn pigs for food and of all the channels I watch yours seem the most practical. Thanks for sharing the knowledge. Much appreciated.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Glad to help , if you have any questions or run into a problem email us

[@Ryan-om6ck]

What’s your opinion of mineral blocks for hogs

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

When we ran big pastures years ago we had a self feeder with the same mix as the red trace mineral blocks in powder form but it lacks lysine and no vitamins. It'll help but it's better to mix a better supplement in the feed

[@jenniferpatrick6582]

how long can a boar service the sows for

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Untill he gets to big for the sows to hold him up , usually four or five years old depending on how big your sows are

[@TheBaken1]

From 20:00 until the end. Everyone needs to hear this. Excellent video. Thank you for all the tips and knowledge. I got up and got after it like you said, I went and got myself a couple Hereford/berk crosses to grow out for the family. Appreciate the confidence 👊

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

I like to see people succeed and if I can help in any way I going to try

[@johnnysharpe3812]

Got things looking good down there buddy and I hope everyone takes your advice and knowledge to heart. All the pigs we've got from you this year were some of best we've had and I know it's from all the hard work you have put into your stock.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Thank you Johnny glad to hear that , lot of careful breeding and picking stock and i'm proud of what we have now

[@johnnysharpe3812]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay I'm really excited to see how the cross with the spotted gilt and the new boar turn out next summer and hopefully we can get on the list for a handful of gilts from her to try at our place.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@johnnysharpe3812 me too ! I hope that boar throws good pigs if he don't I'm going to be heart broke for sure

[@contentment164]

Those are great looking pigs, Chris! You also have the nicest looking and cleanest looking pig pens we have ever seen. It is obvious you take proper care of them.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Thank you , having good stock and keeping things as straight as you can makes a world of difference . That's why folks drive an half day past those farms and get their pigs here

[@nathanphillips7875]

U got some good hogs, no doubt about that but what really caught my eye was that little brindle feist/cur dog. Tell me more about him.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

She's a fair hog and cow dog . Cur , plot and blue heeler mixed for several generations

[@nathanphillips7875]

I hunted hogs and bear most of my life. Most of my dogs were plotts or plott crosses

[@elliottsherman7990]

Very helpful thank you kindly

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Glad to help

[@timh9407]

Lots of good info,just miss a lot because it's so hard to hear.I got my volume turned all the way up.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Its pretty good in this one , most of the time there's a dog barking , lawnmower or a jet messing everything up

[@1988..]

I wish you success with love from Siberia👍

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Thank you !

[@ethanc9665]

What is the youngest age you can breed a gilt safely

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

To keep from stunting them they need to be 10 months and 350 - 400 lbs in my opinion but a lot of people breed at 6 months and 250 lbs to keep the sows small . I like big sows and big litters , it's personal preference really

[@jward9637]

Great video. You got me wanting to raise some pigs for my own family. Maybe raise 4-5 a year. You are spot on about the big operations and the pressure they are under. Raising your own gives you a sense of pride that you know everything that went into producing the final product. Do y’all butcher your own? I’d do my own, but I probably need a ban saw for certain parts.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

You can do it , raising feeders is pretty straight forward and not much trouble. Build a good pen and get some good pigs . We used too but we don't have enough cold weather anymore , can't really even cure our own meat . Yes a band saw is nice but we used a hand saw for decades so you don't have to have one

[@jimsgardensandrabbitry]

Great information Chris and Darlene. Glad you touched on the loading chute. One thing that some don't think about is your not going to lead them like a goat, horse or even sheep. I found that they are like moving a bulldozer. A good solid, narrow chute where they can't turn midway to where you are trying to get them too works best. Blessings to you both.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Absolutely and solid so they can't see through it helps especially when they're unhandled . Good to hear from you Jim

[@bramos2394]

I have a question for you. My husband’s pig prolapsed and had to be put down. Now we have 4 of her babies in the house. Do we need to have a heating light on them even though they are in the house??? They are almost 2 weeks old now.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

They like to be at least 80 or 90 degrees for the first week or so . A light wouldn't hurt just don't hang it to close to them

[@bramos2394]

Thank you very much for your help. We were not wanting newborn babies. I mean at first we wanted to breed them but then decided against it and low and behold my husbands males got in with his females before he could get the butcher out here. So he was just going to keep her and Redman he’s a Duroc but I’m not sure what the female was she was black and white. Black body with white head.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@bramos2394 Hampshire cross sounds like . You can start those pigs drinking out of a pan in the next few days save on having to feed with a bottle. We use canned condensed milk mixed a little weak in three weeks you can mix a little cornmeal and a egg or two in with it make a mush

[@nicholasforti9948]

Since you have been doing this for so many years on the same property. How often have you had to replace fence posts?

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Depends on what kind of post . Used light poles and railroad ties usually last at least ten maybe twenty years real creasote post last fifty or more treated post about ten to fifteen. Landscape timbers won't last two and metal post are forever so are good heart cedar and lighter pine I've got some of them my granddaddy buried in 1920

[@donkimble1417]

Stupid question, I have a slew of oak trees. My yard stays covered in acorns. Would it be wise to rake them up and feed them shell and all? Is that something I can do?

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

It wouldn't hurt anything but I don't know if it's worth the trouble

[@donkimble1417]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay we usually rake them up and throw them away. We are literally covered up with them. But I didn't know about feeding them out. I figured wild hogs eat them all the time. Just wonder what your opinion was in regards to a meat hog. I appreciate your reply.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@donkimble1417 I think as long as you feed a little along it'd be fine , tannin poisoning might be possible. I'm not sure night be worth looking up though

[@bubbagip6238]

How can i get a drawing of your layout?

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

That's a good question. Send me an email

[@EssayonsFG]

A lot of great info, Chris. When we grew up folks kept two or three pigs in a little pen. Take care and stay safe, Rob

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Thanks Rob

[@VinceEspositoJr]

I know one tool you must have on the farm...a level. Those fences look darn good.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Thank you !Believe it or not it's all eyeballed , but I've had a lot of practice

[@johnpierce6025]

what kind of pigs are those

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Duroc and Duroc crosses

[@johnnyvannoy8931]

I really like the way you guys are set up . I am going to use some of your pen ideas when I build my pens . Hey Chris I tried soaking the corn like you showed I your previous video and the hogs love it !

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

You'll be able to tell a difference in how well they grow too ! I like this set up better than the way we used to have it by far ( had to go from pen to pen to move them ) andI this way is a lot easier to add on to

[@josh2916]

What do you do with old boars

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Usually I give them away if possible

[@MeadeFamilyFarm]

Hey y’all! I loved the walk through. I need a loading chute and ramp too. I love how you have things designed. It seems so efficient. I made some big mistakes on my pens when I first started.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Lot easier to learn from my mistakes than having to make your own !

[@pinevalleyfarm4941]

Great video! I have a question for you, I have some Hogs that I have been topping out they will go to Butcher next week but I'm wanting to expand into keeping some sows and a boar. About the only spot I have to put up more hog pens is in a open space (no shade) and I wanted to know if yall have raised any in full sun with a shelter of course. My top hogs are currently under a large oak tree,and I noticed yalls hogs are under shade as well. Thanks and God bless!

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Full suns ok , just put up a shade roof or wall . They are bad for killing trees anyway

[@pinevalleyfarm4941]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay thanks for replying.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@pinevalleyfarm4941 Glad to help anytime

[@rosiereneparrish4461]

Love the way your pens are set up, very functional. He is a super nice Duroc Boar, it's really hard to find good hogs around here. I'll be making a trip to South Mississippi the week of Thanksgiving just to get my Berkshire pair. Haven't ran across a pair of Duroc yet.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Good stock is hard to find no doubt I have trouble with that myself , I should have some good Durocs next year if that boar is any good . Need a litter or two to really tell

[@rosiereneparrish4461]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay is your spot boar feeling better?

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@rosiereneparrish4461 I'm scared we're going to lose him . I think he's got a twisted intestine or maybe a blockage but I haven't given up on him yet

[@rosiereneparrish4461]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay hopefully he will get better ❤

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@rosiereneparrish4461 he might , I have a big sow or boar do this occasionally . Go off feed and lay around Vet always says it's a twisted gut ( especially a boar ), I put them on antibiotics to keep pneumonia away and so far they have come out of it . I've been lucky I haven't lost anything other than piglets in decades but I learnt to keep my sows trim and pay attention . An advantage with hogs is they'll act sick before their to far gone to help not like goats and cows

[@dieselguy1989]

What do you like better feed bunk or your round bulk feeder? I've been using bunks and have debated on getting a bulk feeder I like how the lids keep the rain out but filling them is a pain unless you have a long auger on your grinder and have it close to the fence

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

The round feeder by far , trick is to add a little along . I put 800 lbs at the time in that one ( about every two weeks ) . Depends where your base line is I used to have to keep fourteen full with 100 lb sacks . It would be a lot better right at an outside gate and I'm going to build another pen that way

[@dieselguy1989]

How do you fill yours with a auger or by bucket or scoop shovel?

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@dieselguy1989 bags or buckets , load it in the truck or side by side and back up to the fence . Next one I build will have a gate though !

[@dieselguy1989]

Here in iowa those feeders went from 50-100 at the beginning of the year to about 300 now. Electric bin unload augers are pretty cheap around here 10-15' for around $25-$100 at auctions I thought about getting one of those to fill one of those feeders over the fence

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@dieselguy1989 those round feeders are high and hard to find here , almost all of them are rusted out . Seen them as high as 1500.00 . An auger might be a good idea , that feeder will do at least 40 pigs and that many can pull it down fast . Big difference in 800lb every other week and 2000 lb a week . With us I can tote it in by hand before I could get the auger hooked up

[@geekygardens]

That does look like a good setup my friends. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Thank you Geeky !

[@zona7069]

I really appreciate your information my brother is going to be doing this but I'm going to learn to weave raised hogs before I used to be in FFA but it's totally different I like good eating pigs no matter what love Mama Z

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Glad to help if I can , if you have any problems/questions let me know

[@zona7069]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay thank you so much your information is truth and I appreciate it so much my brother watches you too I just found out yesterday or today I can't remember but we really appreciate it we wanted to order ox or he does. Not sure how far you are from Northeast Oklahoma but if you can let me know

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@zona7069 a long ways , eastern NC

[@zona7069]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay for sure long ways

[@oldnorthstateoutdoors2002]

Chris I gotta ask a couple quick questions. Do you breed sows just one a year or so you do multiple litters? In an average year what would you expect to pay for a good feeder pig in your area?

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

We breed each sow twice two litters each ,I try to breed so two sows have at the same time then two more ten weeks later .You can get some pretty good crossed up meat pigs for two dollars a pound

[@jman6032]

Thank you for your time and years of experience and willing to share knowledge! I am forever grateful for folks like you.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

I'm glad to help , I like to see people succeed . If all they need is a little knowledge its the least I can do !

[@brianjones5058]

Do you keep you're boars together in one pen. I've been told to doit. Also been told need to keep all boars separated. What's you're opinion.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

They can get to fighting bad and really hurt each other so we separate them once they get mature anyway , most of the time they're sold at 250 lbs or less

[@nathanphillips7875]

I hunted hogs and bear most of my life. Most of my dogs were plotts or plott crosses

[@garyholmes4058]

I was interested but I could barely hear what he was saying

[@coreymcdaniel8264]

Good video

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Thank you

[@lisanowakow3688]

Thank you!

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Thank you for watching !

[@BTech5]

What makes a show pig a show pig

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Perfect confirmation and type , symmetry depending on the class breed specs . Basically has to be as perfect in appearance as possible

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Or if you're talking about the new type they are square low to the ground wide flat back almost no fat heavy muscle. The moden commercial pig shaped totally different from our old stock

[@ReapWhatYouSeauxLeJeune]

Thanks for sharing very nice set up. You are right people forget the loading part . Watching different videos and set ups . You got it Brother

[@valerieharblin9069]

SO MUCH GREAT INFO THANK YOU, JAMERELL STEWART SENT OUT A QUESTIONS ABOUT PIGS, GO TO YOUR PAGE AND SHE WAS RIGHT! WE HARVESTED 2 TODAY I HAVE 1 LEFT AND IF I HAD ONLY SEE YOUR VIDEO SOONER I COULD HAVE SAVED SO MUCH AGRAVATION.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Glad to help

[@billadkins943]

Hi Chris, I have watched this video about 10 times I have picked up on a lot of stuff thanks. I have a question is there anything out or can you do a video on a small hog operation on a yearly calendar for a small operation. Like worming, care, breeding, etc. thanks again Bill

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Thanks for the idea Bill , I've covered most of the common stuff but it's spread out over several video's

[@randyhowe3022]

What are your thoughts on farrowing cages vs a small farrowing pen ? I have Hampshire hogs and I'm just starting to breed them .

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Both work as long as you set the shelter up right , pens better for the sow, crates better for the piglets . There's pros and cons for both biggest reason I don't use crate's anymore is I don't wean the pigs until 6 to 8 weeks and they're to big

[@michaelpocock528]

Very helpful! Hope to, one day soon, put the knowledge from you to work for me. Thank you Chris!

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Glad to help , let me know if you have any questions

[@gwc3721]

How do you market your pigs?

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Word of mouth for the most part , I can't keep up with demand so most are spoken for before they're born and I sell the culls and old sows etc at auction

[@gwc3721]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay Do you sell them on the hoof or hanging wt?

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@gwc3721 I sell some tops by hanging weight the rest are per head . Breeding stock is my main market

[@pasttime8450]

I'm just starting out but love the information I need to learn

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Glad to help

[@himdead268]

I am glad I found him .very good info

[@fishawk90]

Wow great info.

[@MattMiller-c5b]

What a happy beautiful pig! 6 months you say? Awesome 👏

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

To slaughter weight from birth yes

[@troyhale6117]

Good looking Duroc boar. That’s what I went with old line Duroc for my first boar. Where is yours out of?

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

He's show pig stock out of Indiana but the feed conversion so far has been great

[@codyb8278]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay indiana raises fine hogs I decided to go with the purest and oldest breeder of spot hogs in America

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@codyb8278 wish I could get a boar of that line !!

[@codyb8278]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay you possibly could I also got a pure gilt also their papered says the percentage of spot they are and they are the highest in the country

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@codyb8278 they are almost impossible to find down here and if you find some they are usually inbred pretty bad

[@zanelee2266]

Why does my pig keep shaking its head?

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Could be ear mites

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Could be ear mites

[@zanelee2266]

What would help with that ?

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@zanelee2266ivermectin might get it or you can buy some ear drops . I have washed their ears out with alcohol just be really careful not to get in their eyes

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@zanelee2266 email me if you need to [e-mail]

[@BJSmith-ll3uw]

Thanks for sharing. Always looking for ways to improve our hog operation.

[@austinpalmer898]

That young boar you got looks real nice.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Just had the first couple of litters off of him and he throws some beautiful pigs

[@ronrhodes8697]

That hog is not 350 Your out of your mind

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Actually she was closer to 450 they look small on camera but scales don't lie .

[@That_rottenguy]

Love your videos. Makes me wanna Rethink my pen design. Question I have is how big are your farrowing pens?. I have two sows that we are going to breed and just curious on sizing for farrowing pens

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Shelters are 8 by 8 and the pens are 16 by 24 . I'm going to build the next shelter 8 by 10 it's a little tight for my biggest sows at farrowing with me in there with them

[@That_rottenguy]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay I don’t know if you made a video on how you made your farrowing shelters. I’ll have to look closely when I get home. That would be a good video if you show like how it was built up and how it how everything works. But thanks for the measurements gives me something to think about when building my pans and rethinking my whole design. Love the videos really informative.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@That_rottenguy I talk about them in a few videos , can't remember if I've done one on just them .

[@That_rottenguy]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay ok cool will have to watch more videos to find it.

[@drknockers5716]

Good info love it

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Hope it helps !

[@charmainevandiford6622]

Mr Charles would be very Proud of you Chris. He is smiling down on you.

[@jaybaker9684]

My wife and I started our own small pig operation here in ND about a year ago. I worked in a commercial barn as a younger man and it helped alot understanding the pig itself but raising them outside has been a challenge but we are slowly getting better everyday. We're on the same page as you as far as the small farm goes and we don't free choice our breeding stock either. As far as our feed im really struggling finding a good protein balance due to availability of products here hardly anyone carries pig products up here and paying for shipping would be pretty rough on us so I'm still looking for a reliable protein source. You have some great looking hogs when we started looking at pigs we decided to go the registered route so we knew exactly what we were getting and so our customers do to we researched and decided on berkshires and they have been real good to us best wishes and we appreciate you keeping the small farm alive just like us.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Soy meal is the most common then byproduct meal or fish meal ( don't use fish on your meat pigs you can taste it) push comes to shove you can grind dog food it's not that much more expensive than suppliment . Most of it's byproduct meal and corn meal anyway tbh . On the ground is definitely a different challenge I wonder if there's a mill near you that sells in bulk ?

[@jaybaker9684]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay there are a few mills around but up here travel is a little different everything is real far away and delivery would kill my little operation. Now we do have a big grain facility I used to work for thats where I'm getting my corn screens right off the cleaner when they load train its fantastic because it don't need ground but I have been looking into just getting a grinder mixer and making a ration of barly and corn being as the protein in feed barley is usually 14 because they use the low protein for malting but I still don't have the grinder I guess I could probably soak that barley and soften it up to make it digestible that's the only problem with barly its so hard if you don't grind or soak it will just pass right through them but idk yet I'm still looking definitely not giving up just keeping my sows off the boar longer until there body condition returns to where I think they are in good shape to handle the next batch

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@jaybaker9684 they make a direct drive grinder , we found them online new for about 400.00 . I'm mixing 500 lbs a week in a wheelbarrow only takes a couple hours . Most of the time I give my sows three weeks to build back before breeding .

[@jaybaker9684]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay yeah ive seen them ive questioned how long they last ive been researching them tho and seeing how people like them

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@jaybaker9684 if I had the extra money I'd order one just to see if it would work for hard use

[@sarahmoore4917]

Can you feed silage to pigs, and chickens?

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

We feed some to sows for fiber but it doesn't do much for nutrition, more of a filler than anything. Won't do much for chickens they'll scratch through it

[@sarahmoore4917]

thank you for the information

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@sarahmoore4917 glad to help

[@johnnyvannoy7180]

Awesome video guys !

[@velenawhisneant4561]

We are thinking of doing this. I got a lot of studying and thinking to do though.

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

I'll give you some honest advice , if all you want is meat pigs you're better off buying feeder pigs . If there's a market for pigs in your area and you can build a name it's possible to make this work out money wise but only if you make your own feed . We joke it's a go broke slow scheme

[@billadkins943]

Hi Chris Happy New Year. Question when you wean the piglets at 6-8weeks do you take the sow straight back to the boar or what a cycle? Thanks Bill

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

Happy new year ! It depends on how pulled down the sow is if she's too thin I wait . They breed back better if you put them with the boar 3 days after weaning

[@billadkins943]

Ok great thanks

[@Dustin-yc4lx]

U cant keep the bored with the Sows ?

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

No for several reasons. Feed control, breeding control, sows safety and to a degree yours

[@Dustin-yc4lx]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay will I keep mine in to gather and they don't bother me but he tries to take all the food

[@Dustin-yc4lx]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay and mine run a acre of land with to 1,500 lb round bales of hay

[@Dustin-yc4lx]

@@HomesteadingtheHardWay should I get him away from the sow's

[@HomesteadingtheHardWay]

@@Dustin-yc4lx that's one of the main problems . A mature boar only needs about 2.5 lbs of feed a day sow needs 5 or 6 he'll eat all of it . You have to control his weight or he'll get too big to breed in a couple of years . I have some 800 / 900 lb sows that I can pen with a boar that can handle him but it's best by far to keep them separate by far