Pigs - Raising Small Animals - page 182

with other pigs. Ossabaws should be between 14 to 20 inches tall and 25 to 90 pounds, which
translates into an approximate maximum of 4.5 pounds per inch of height.
Ossabaws come in a wide range of colors, but unless crossed with pigs of other breeds, they
never develop stripes. Generallly, they have solid or spotted coats, sometimes resembling a
calico pattern. Ossabaws may be red, gray, blue, and even white, although this is quite rare.
Ossabaws today are critically endangered. They are currently found in a few zoos on the
mainland, but the pigs generally are not allowed to be removed from Ossabaw Island because
they are at risk of carrying porcine vesicular stomatitis and because pseudorabies is found on
the island. There are fears that the pigs on the island could transmit these diseases to pigs on
the mainland.
Pigs for composting
Although it would be unusual to get pigs for the sole purpose of using them to help with your
composting, if you are a homesteader, or if you have a small farm, you may wish to consider
adding two or three pigs to your livestock herd. Pigs are excellent at rooting and turning soil.
In order to encourage pigs to help with your composting, you can set up a small fence capable
of holding two or three pigs around your large compost heap. Electric netting or Pig
QuikFence ™ would work well. Many people place a layer of straw over the compost so the
pigs can work it into the compost as they root. The pigs will turn over the compost thor-
oughly, trying to find anything good to eat in it.
It is a good idea to have other uses for these pigs in addition to the composting, as the com-
posting will not keep them busy for long. If you are not interested in raising pigs for this pur-
pose, you may wish to consider borrowing pigs for a day or two from a neighbor who raises
pigs. You will need to have a very large compost heap to keep the pigs interested and busy.
Even if you add material to the compost heap every day, you would need to supplement the
pig's diet with more nutritious food.
You could use any kind of pigs for composting, though it may become difficult to keep larger
pigs inside a small enclosure.
Pig Husbandry