Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Mammatt offers these last words about how she raises her pigs: “Being small producers, we
probably do things a little differently than our indoor counterparts. I grow with huts to keep
them dry and shaded and ring lock and barb and a hot wire to keep my girls in their pad-
docks. I use sprinkler systems around the piggery for their wallows. I use nipple drinkers for
them to drink out of, and for the growers I use both a trough and a nipple drinker. I feed the
girls on the ground, and I feed my growers in self-feeders. I have a lane way to move pigs
around in. I weigh my pigs in a shed to keep the water out of the scales and the hot sun from
beating down on the pigs and me. I have a chappy who brings his truck to my place to load
pigs and take them to market.”
Choosing Your Breeders
Once you have decided what your breeding goals for the future are, you will be able to choose
your pigs for breeding better. If you are just starting out, and you are not yet familiar with the
other pig farmers in your area, talk to your veterinarian, your feed store owner, and your
county extension services agent about good local pig breeders. If you plan to purchase
purebred pigs, check with your breed association for help in locating the nearest breeders. You
also can visit breeder auctions and sale barns to find gilts and boars for sale.
When you start to look for your breeding stock, there are some important things to keep in
mind:
• Start planning well in advance. If you have gilts or sows ready to breed, do not wait until
the last minute to look for a boar for them. You will have a better selection of breeding
partners if you begin searching early.
•Studypiggeneticsandpedigrees.Pedigreesareparticularlyimportantifyouwillberaising
purebred hogs.
• No pig is perfect, not even yours. There is always room for improvement in each gener-
ation. Try to choose a boar for your gilt or sow with the goal of improving some things
about her.
•Whenyouvisitanotherfarmer'sfarmtolookatgiltsorsowsforsaleortolookoveraboar
for breeding, ask if you can see as many relatives as possible. It is always a good idea to
seeparents,offspring,siblings,andothercloselyrelatedanimals.Youarenotjustbuying
a sow or gilt, you are buying their genetic contribution to your own herd.
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