when to purchase a hog for 4-H project

Hi guys im going to be doing a hog for 4-H this year and im just wondering if anyone could help me know when i should get my hog. Our fair is the begining of september so im thinking middle of febuary? Thanks any other tips or help is also appreciated.

Hello!

I did 4-H all throughout highschool.

I always got my pigs over Spring Break in March, or you know... the middle to the end of March.
I would get a hold of a breeder in January though, to ask if they have what you're looking for!
Before you buy a pig, I would suggest visiting and reserving them a few week prior to purchasing!

Good luck!
Raising pigs is loads of fun!

parsnip, when visiting, what are you looking for?

When visiting to look for a hog the basic body structure that I learned to look for is a LONG pig.
If you're looking for 4-H type hogs, you'd also want to make sure that they aren't pigeon toed or anything.
They must set their feet down straight and have a very uniform square body.
~I'd also just look for an active piglet.
Kind of like when you're picking out a kitten or puppy from a litter.
You'd want to pick the most playful healthy bigger one right?
Same with pigs.
Try to get the bigger of the littler, most active.
Although I tend to go for the runts? lol
I've had a runt pig that ended up to be my best hog!

Right now in the market business, people want big beefy chunky hogs.
Which makes sense, more muscle, more meat.
But I honestly think that the more muscle a pig has, the more damage it does to the hog.
They cannot lay down comfortably(their hams get in the way)
AND they over-heat more easily.
I care about the well-being of my animals and I want them to have a happy life
Not saying that people with heavily muscled pigs are bad care-takers... I'm not saying that at all.
I just believe the less stress a pig has overall, the BETTER the meat will taste in the end!
Quality over quantity!!!

When I started 4-H I grew up with the lean long, lightly muscled hogs.
Then as the years went by, it became short stocky chunky hogs (which I dislike)
So I always kept the longer leaner look, even though I ended up getting last place in all my showings.

I guess it honestly comes down to preference.
Pick the long weaner pigs to begin with, then you can choose whether to bulk them up, or keep them longer and lean
Make sure they get exercise when you purchase them!
Exercise means more shapely hams!

OH GOSH I could go on FOREVER about this, but I shall stop!

I would think, to a certain extent, what to look for depends on your area as well. My kids started 4H this past year. The county 4H fair had ZERO pigs. We are raising 2 right now for our own family, but haven't decided about the kids doing that as a project. The good news is, they could win 1st and 2nd easily if they did.

We also had 1 local pig farm that offered free runts to kids in 4H that wanted to raise them as a project. Make sure you mention it is for a 4H project. We offer discounts on goats and breeding for 4H projects.

Check with your leader or the local extension office. There will be an official 4H guidelines handbook with all the information you will need. Most counties have a final date that you need to have your hog by. It varies because of the different times counties will hold their fairs. Good luck and have fun!

sawfish99 said:

I would think, to a certain extent, what to look for depends on your area as well. My kids started 4H this past year. The county 4H fair had ZERO pigs. We are raising 2 right now for our own family, but haven't decided about the kids doing that as a project. The good news is, they could win 1st and 2nd easily if they did.

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And at our fair pigs is the largest section of animals. Ithink we generally have anywhere from 80-120 at the fair.
Our judges also like the chunkier pigs. I was taught to look for firm hams, long bodies, correct legs, and nice top and bottom lines.