Pigs for Beginners. Ulster County Cooperative 2018

Transcription

1 Pigs for Beginners Ulster County Cooperative 2018

2 4 Things to Know about Pigs 1. Pigs are the 4 th most intelligent animal on earth behind cetaceans, primates, and humans. 2. Pigs are omnivorous, but water is their most important resource overall 3. Pigs do not have sweat glands. Pigs will wallow in mud or water if too hot, or as a last resort, their waste. Pigs are very clean and use designated bathrooms. 4. Pigs are prolific. Sows can birth 8-12 live piglets.

3 Terminology (pig talk) Boar: adult male of breeding age Barrow: castrated male Sow adult female of breeding age Gilt: female not yet mated Shoat: a young pig (don t say piglet) Feeder: weened barrow or gilt between pounds Grower: market pig between weaning and or sale to breeding herd

4 Why have a small pig farm? Does not require a lot of land With REST pigs can improve, diversity and fertilize land Pigs work well in integrated farming system. They are often able to use feed wastes or marginal products Pigs are localized and are highly trainable Almost everyone loves pork products (bacon and sausage!) Pigs can be raised on marginal areas of property or woodlands Pigs are smart and pigs are fun

5 The Basics Feed Water Housing Observation Stimulation

6 Housing Pigs do not have hair, so like humans, they need protection from extreme weather conditions Pigs must have enough room to feed, stand, lie down and stretch out (they stretch out a lot) They must have ventilation and fresh air They must have a roof to protect from the sun and it s nice to get out of the rain and snow too They must have an area that is dry

7 Do These Pictures Provide what the pigs need for appropriate shelter??? (yes and no)

8 Free Range Housing Options

9 Lets Talk About Deep Bedding Advantages Disadvantages

10 Pig Nutrition Pigs are omnivores and monogastric like humans. Like us pigs need protein, energy (carbohydrates), and minerals Grains alone do not provide enough protein or amino acids Pigs need lots of water. Without water they cannot efficiently convert feed. Pigs love to forage and will supplement their diet with all manner of roots, grasses, mollusks, and other wild fare. Ideally pigs should have access to feed at all times during the day (this makes them more efficient at converting feed)

11 Pre mixed rations are your best option for providing a balance rations You cannot substitute, only supplement (pigs need pig food to grow and thrive) Food scraps are a double edged sword. Sure they re free but what other Stuff is in there and do those donating care if your animals choke on broken glass or a broken knife? No Meat! (unless it s wild) Potatoes have to be cooked to be nutritious Spent grains are good but make sure you re not getting your pigs drunk Whey or milk is an excellent feed source and is well complimented by bulk feeds or a forage based diet

12 Feeding Scale Stage Weaner Growers up to 60 lbs Growers up to 100 lbs Growers up to 140 lbs Growers over 180 lbs Breeding boars or sows Suckling sows Amount of Feed 2.5 lbs daily 3.0 lbs daily 4.5 lbs daily 7.0 lbs daily 8.0 lbs daily 6.0 lbs daily 6 lbs plus 1 pound per piglet

13 Types of Feeders

14 Type of Waterers

15 Pigs in the Woods Pigs will denude the land Need to match numbers to area Easy to rotate Should not return for two years Do not need shelter if tree shelter in summer Remember you can only supplement Tree mast is very beneficial This management requires more planning and backups than housing pigs

16 Fencing Options 1. Pig panels Sturdy, does not short out, semi permanent as has to be buried because pigs root 2. Woven Wire Sturdy, does not short out, semi permanent 3. Electric Low input, portable, only as good as the person monitoring it

17 A few notes on electric fencing 1. You must train pigs to it which means you need to set it up inside a permanent fencing options and monitor the pigs around the clock the first couple of days and watch for problems 2. Once pigs are trained, one strand at nose level will keep them put if they have adequate resources 3. Pigs root and push up soil onto the strand and this will short out the fence or build a burm over it. To combat this move the pigs frequency and or monitor the fence and move the soil away from it. 4. Solar chargers don t work in the shade 5. Vegetation will decrease the effectiveness of the fence 6. You need a gate if you are going to move pigs over the fence OR even where the fence was.

18 Handling Facilities Pig Boards (make your own) Trailer or vehicle with ramp Panels to isolate animal Snares for treatment

19 Keeping your Pigs Healthy Well fed, well managed, and animals with low stress will stay relatively healthy. There are many diseases that can effect pigs, the best prevention is to monitor them daily Most common Round Worm (liver spots, very common on pastured pigs) Whip Worms Mange and Lice Lameness Ulcers

20 Roundworms Eggs are shed in feces (can survive for years in soil) Eggs requires 2 weeks to become infective Eggs ingested by pig Eggs hatch in gut Larvae travel through gut mucosa and blood stream to liver (liver migration leaves scarring milk spots) Larvae travel through bloodstream to lungs Migrate up trachea (coughed up) and re swallowed To get back into gut Mature to adult stage in small intestine

21 Whipworms Another important worm Small (~2), whitish worms that are shaped like a whip and live in the Cecum Adults burrow into the wall of the cecum and large intestine, damaging the gut Results in a bloody scour Eggs survive in the environment for year

22 Mange Mites burrow under the skin Causes severe skin irritation and itching Itching results in hair loss Small, red bumps on the skin particularly between the legs, on the neck/jowl area and inside the ear Lice Similar clinical signs as mange Itchy pigs Can actually see lice on the pigs Like mange, lice are host specific and are normally transmitted from pig to pig

23 Causes Gastric Ulcers Often initiated by going off-feed Incidence may be higher with pelleted feed Once ulcer starts, acid in stomach continues to erode the stomach lining Treatment Not very effective Feed easily digestible feedstuffs (oats, alfalfa meal, grass) Tagamet?

24 Breeding not for the faint of heart Principles 1. Always purchase quality animals from a quality breeder 2. Your Boar is your star and it is preferred that they be purebred 3. Sows are better than gilts (biosecurity measures aside) as they are proven and have developed more robust natural immunities. Breeding Facts and Figures Estrus 1-5 days Heat Period days Gestation (114 days) Breeding age 7-8 months (depends on weight) roughly 220 lbs

25 Common Breeds of Pigs Yorkshire Chester White Berkshire Duroc

26 Hampshire Poland Spot Landrace

27 Heritage Breed Pigs

28 Butchering and Marketing your Animals 1. USDA Slaughter 1. Necessary to move meat over state lines 2. Necessary to sell directly to consumers or restaurants 2. Custom Exempt Slaughter 1. Customer must pay processor 2. Animal is bought on the hoof and delivered to processor 3. There are labeling requirements

29 3 Very Different and Very Successful Pig Farmers 1. Joel Salatin Polyface Farm, Virginia 2. Walter Jeffries Sugar Mountain Farm, Vermont 3. Bruce King Ebey Farm, Washington