What Breed of Pig for a 13 yr old young man?

[jlgoinggreen]

Hi,
My son is in love with pigs and really want to breed them. We were looking into the Tamworth, but after seeing how big they get he doesn't want one. He thought of doing pot belly pigs, but was told they are real hard to sell and don't do so good for a "business". This homeschooling 13 year old is very "business/profit" minded and wants something that will make him a profit. I've tried to convince him to do maybe chickens or ducks, but he has his heart set on pigs.

Any ideas on what type of feeder pigs will not grow to be too big, but still bring him a small profit? Also, at what age would a pig be old enough to breed safely?

 

[jhm47]

Almost any breed will grow very large. If your son is interested in making a profit, he will need to go with the breeds that are bred to grow fast and do it efficiently. Pot belly pigs are not very feed efficient, and also are poor for meat production because of their excessive fat. They are cheap for a reason.

Yorkshires, Landrace, Chester Whites, Duroc, Hampshires---all are bred for fast, efficient growth. They have quite large litters, and any of these or their crosses would be a good choice. I know little about Tamworths. Berkshires and the Poland Chinas are also good.

You can breed a gilt at around 6 - 7 months of age. READ about raising pigs. It's not easy to make a profit in this day and age. Be sure to clip off the needle teeth on the newborns, and it might also be a good idea to dock tails at birth.

Needle teeth are on the sides of their mouths, both top and bottom. In large litters, the babies will bite each other and cause lots of injuries to their littermates mouths while nursing. Use a side-cutter pliers and nip them off. If you leave tails long, they often begin to bite on each other's tails, and can cause infections and even deaths. Better to dock them at birth than to try to stop a bad tailbiting problem when they are large.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

I've tried to convince him to do maybe chickens or ducks, but he has his heart set on pigs.

jhm47 has all good advice. but what i'd throw in is, go and visit someone who has breeding sows. we got feeder pigs from a guy that had a 600+lbs sow. pigs really arent for the feint of heart, they are incredible strong, and can be dangerous. i knew an old hog farmer who would not let any of the grandchildren be around his hogs until they were well into their teens.

if you are not used to large livestock you might want to stick with ducks. we've had tremendous success with our muscovies.

not to be the wet blanket but what he wants might not be what is best. one or two fair pigs that he can cuddle and hand raise is entirely different than an angry sow defending her babies.

we raise feeder pigs to just under 300 lbs. i wont to near them without a stock cane and two huge dogs. even if they are just playing around the can be very dangerous.

good luck!

 

[jhm47]

OFG is right on. I have had over 30 stitches in my right leg from an angry boar. He ripped me so quick that I didn't even have time to react. Boars are by far the worst, and sows with babies are second. Pigs are also omnivorous, and will eat birds, eggs, pets, and (I would bet) defenseless humans if given the chance. Out here in the farm country there is a very gross saying: "I ain't had so much fun since the pigs ate grandpa". Sadly, there is a ring of truth in that.