Idaho Pastured Pigs

[JRod]

New farmers here, we’ll, full time I am still a trucker for now, but that’s paying for the 31 acres we bought last year. So far we have 2 bottle calves, 2 rabbits for 4H, 2 puppies (Great Pyr and Pyr/chocolate lab mix), 2 cats, 2 10 year old kids, and 37 laying hens plus 4 roosters!

Wife has said she wants pigs, so after some research we’ve decided to get some IPPs. We have visited one farm near us with registered stock and plan to get 3 feeders and a gilt from her in June, and a young boat from the other local farmer with IPPs.

We have about 20 acres of woods and 10-11 acres of pasture/openings/creek/etc. Looking for advice and to learn as much as I can before then! We’ll be getting the piglets at about 8 weeks old.

 

[Baymule]

Pictures! We love pictures so take lots of them!

I got one of those blue plastic barrels, put in a bushing, screwed in a galvanized pipe nipple and a hog nipple on the end. Barrel on the outside, pipe nipple poking through the fence wire with hog nipple they could bite on for a drink, they always had clean water to drink. They couldn’t dump a water tub over to lay in and then have no water.

Have a small pen to their barn or shelter in case you need to confine them for something.

 

[Finnie]

And, read about @Baymule ‘s pig palace build here:
Thread 'Baymule’s Pigs 2018 HEREFORDS!'
https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/baymule’s-pigs-2018-herefords.37448/

It has a lot of good information, especially how she made a feeding window in the side of her pig shelter, so she didn’t have to enter their pen to feed them.

 

[JRod]

And, read about @Baymule ‘s pig palace build here:
Thread 'Baymule’s Pigs 2018 HEREFORDS!'
https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/baymule’s-pigs-2018-herefords.37448/

It has a lot of good information, especially how she made a feeding window in the side of her pig shelter, so she didn’t have to enter their pen to feed them.

Thanks Finnie, I will go check it out!

 

[JRod]

Very cool thread about building a hog house. Things I like about the IPPs (that I have heard at least!) are that they are a smaller breed although bigger than American guineas, supposed to be great grazers and not root too much if provided with enough minerals, and also friendly personalities and good mothers.

Having seen a friend’s picture of hanging a 918 pound hog from their tractor for butchering, I have NO interest in anything that large except cows! Honestly, we eat more beef than anything else, so pork is tempting but takes second to a medium rare ribeye! The IPPs are also supposed to take about twice as long to finish but have a much darker meat that is closer to beef than the white meat pork found in the grocery store.

 

[Baymule]

We had an 820 pound boar in that Pig Palace! The pork chops covered the whole plate!

The IPPs sound like the perfect homestead pigs. When do you get them?

 

[Mini Horses]

I had AGH and their meat is dark. Very tasty!!

 

[BellaM]

Pictures! We love pictures so take lots of them!

I got one of those blue plastic barrels, put in a bushing, screwed in a galvanized pipe nipple and a hog nipple on the end. Barrel on the outside, pipe nipple poking through the fence wire with hog nipple they could bite on for a drink, they always had clean water to drink. They couldn’t dump a water tub over to lay in and then have no water.

Have a small pen to their barn or shelter in case you need to confine them for something.

Excellent advise ... Pigs love water and not just for drinking! I read somewhere that pigs don't like mud but mine certainly did and they frequently made their own by dragging their water buckets to the dirt.

 

[Baymule]

Excellent advise ... Pigs love water and not just for drinking! I read somewhere that pigs don't like mud but mine certainly did and they frequently made their own by dragging their water buckets to the dirt.

Pigs cannot sweat to cool off. That's why they delight in rolling in water or mud, it cools them off. By all means, provide them with a water or mud hole to keep them cool. The problem comes in when they spill their drinking water to cool off, then become thirsty because they have nothing to drink. Silly pigs!

 

[Mini Horses]

Pigs love mud because they cover themselves to keep bugs off. Plus they cannot sweat, so it helps for insulating and the wet cools them. Those raised on concrete require water sprays for cooling! Also being strong, there's not a problem dumping large tanks/tubs....🤣...they are certain they can "fit" into any container!!! Pigs are smart! Really smart. Don't underestimate one.