Do you feed pigs on the day of butcher?

[goatyyymama164]

I just had this question. We don't feed our Cornish X on the day of butcher so does that apply to our feeder pig? Tomorrow he is going to the butcher so we would like to know if we should still feed him tomorrow?

 

[Baymule]

I don’t feed mine the day before we load them up. We back up the trailer to their pen and I load them with boiled eggs. I smush a boile egg, they smell it and I drop another one halfway in the trailer. Then a couple is smushed boiled eggs in the front of the trailer. I never load pigs, they load themselves. Don’t even peel the shell off. They are hungry, they live eggs and they get up in the trailer to get the eggs. Shut the gate, done.

 

[goatyyymama164]

I don’t feed mine the day before we load them up. We back up the trailer to their pen and I load them with boiled eggs. I smush a boile egg, they smell it and I drop another one halfway in the trailer. Then a couple is smushed boiled eggs in the front of the trailer. I never load pigs, they load themselves. Don’t even peel the shell off. They are hungry, they live eggs and they get up in the trailer to get the eggs. Shut the gate, done.

Sounds great! We got the trailer yesterday and backed it up right next to his pen so he could see it and get used to it. Also boiled 3 dozen eggs yesterday so it would be great to get a few eggs out of the fridge we will always have a problem with too many eggs.

 

[Baymule]

We even loaded up a 820 pound boar using boiled eggs. I hope loading goes smoothly today!

 

[goatyyymama164]

We even loaded up a 820 pound boar using boiled eggs. I hope loading goes smoothly today!

820lbs WHAT! THAT IS SO GIGANTIC! I didn't even know that they could get that big without having like a heart attack or something.

 

[Baymule]

Here is Wilburs thread

Baymule's 500 Pound Boar!

I found a deal on a huge boar. His name is Wilbur and he is a Red Wattle. He got too big to breed their sows, so he went up for sale. The lady who owned him couldn’t put him in the freezer, he was her first pig and a pet. He is very calm and gentle. But she became afraid of Wilbur because he...

www.backyardherds.com

 

[farmerjan]

We had a big red Duroc boar that we borrowed several times to breed our 2-3 sows, from a friend, then sent him back. The last time the friend said when we were done to take him to the stock yard because he was too big for him to use on gilts, plus they had some of his daughters, etc, so needed a new boar. "George" was the absolutely best dispositioned boar I have ever had.... and he hit 905 when he finally went and my DS and I cried when we sent him. They can get pretty big. He would go anywhere for a feed bucket .....

 

[Baymule]

Did you get your pig loaded up? How did it go?

 

[misfitmorgan]

Our current breeding trio of herefords are 800-900+lbs and very friendly. Esp our boar he is super laid back and willing to do anything you ask him to do.

We also dont feed pigs going to slaughter the day of, no point as they do not need the feed for the few hours before they are processed. We just throw any kind of food in the trailer and they walk right in even if they have never seen a trailer before.

Our boar and sows will be retired soon and taking said trip to the auction. At best we will get $80-90 each but at some point they are just to big to keep around. They cost more feed, better fencing, better pens and extra attention to safety. Luckily our current pigs are all calm and easy to work with, easy to move, you can go in their pen when farrowing, etc. I will be sad to see them go but our fences will be happy. To be clear if they actually really wanted out they would have no problem snapping our 2x6s like kindling or snapping off our cedar posts..

 

[Baymule]

Sad face because you will have to tell them goodbye. Too bad, but they never stop growing.