We're thinking of trying pigs for the first time. Before today, we were pretty sure we were going to get Tamworth pigs. Then today I read an article in "Small Farm Today" about the Duroc breed.

Anybody have experience with both?

We would like to eventually breed them ourselves, but start off with a bunch of weaners. We would also like to raise them in the pasture with the other animals (beef cattle and chickens), but are a little worried that when the breeders get bigger, they might like the taste of chicken.

Taste of the meat is the most important thing to us.

Also, our perimiter fence is four strand barbed wire (internally, we use a lot of temporary electric). Should the perimeter be stronger?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), February 18, 2001

Answers

This ought to be fun for you if you never raised hogs before. Duroc hogs do fine and most seem to be pretty good mothers but sometimes get mean, and really do when they have a litter of pigs, so be careful if you get on of her piglets squealing. About the fence you may want to put some electric fence wire around the perimiter because a pig will craw right under a barbwire fence if that is all you have. The first ele. wire shouldnt be over 4-5 inches off the ground, i know that this sound like going overboard but I have seen pigs rut a hole under fence that is taller that 4-5 inches. However you need to keep a eye on your ele fence because a hog is pretty smart and will root something up to the ele. fence to short it out. They are fun and and work. One other thing is that they will dig up all the rocks if you have them where you live so your field will have holes all over it unless you put in nose rings. dale

-- dale (dgarr@fidnet.com), February 18, 2001.

Are Duroc's meaner than Tam's?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), February 18, 2001.

I have a Duroc pig (gilt), and I like her real well. She's a pet. She's an attractive orange color, and has a perfectly nice temperament, and really doesn't cause any trouble. She's about 3 years old. I also have a couple of Hampshire barrows, also pets, and they live to raise hell. Talk about taking out a fence! Also, they are less friendly and more destructive and kind of aloof in temperament. My 2 cents.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), February 18, 2001.

One more thing, about the nose rings... Rooting is a natural behavior for pigs. They need to do this for their mental well-being, and I've also heard they get minerals from the soil this way. They simply love to do it, and my opinion is that they should be allowed! It's a small thing to ask, that they be allowed to pursue this pleasure, in light of their eventual fate. Hey, one of my pigs even rooted up a really great antique bottle, perfectly intact! It was like a little gift. :)

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), February 18, 2001.

Here is an interesting comment about the quality of meat on a tamworth: http://csf.colorado.edu/archive/2000/csa/msg00332.html

Specifically "Tamworths are about as low on the meat quality scale as you can get. That's exactly what we found when we ate Mabel's Tamworth sister. "

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), February 18, 2001.

Here's a message I found on another site:

Be careful putting Tams and Berks in the same sentance. They are pigs for entirely different markets. If you are going after good tasting pork I'd put a berk boar on a hamp/duroc sow and learn how to run fast to keep from getting bit. If you are after raising pigs as cheap as possible without regards for how it tastes put any boar on a tamworth sow and learn how to run fast to keep from getting bit plus to chase those crazy little pigs. :) They can talk about lean meat all they want but meat has to have fat to have flavor and be tender.

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), February 18, 2001.

We raised Tams for about 5 yrs; never had a mean one, even the boars. The meat was delicious; even uncastrated young boars. I suppose its a matter of personal preference, but if one wants a lard hog, I suppose they would be considered too lean, but we never thought so and never had anything but compliments from customers. I expect taste has lots to do with what you feed em. They are terrific rooters though; will tear up the area, and unbelievably smart. I really miss em.

-- Earthmama48 (earthmama48@yahoo.com), February 18, 2001.

Also, I would be careful about putting pigs and chickens together. I don't know about pigs eating chickens, but I remember reading somewhere that dangerous flu mutations occur when swine and birds are housed together, and are transmittable to humans. Can't remember where I read that, though. Gina NM

-- Gina NM (inhock@pvtnetworks.net), February 18, 2001.

There is a BBQ outlet in SC, I believe, which serves nothing but meat from the Tamworths they raise on their farm. If it weren't good eating, they wouldn't be using them.

It is a bit like apples and oranges in that the Duroc was bred for as meat/lard hogs and the Tamworth bred was as bacon hogs.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 19, 2001.

You do not want to put pigs in a good pasture with cows .They will chase them and also root up all the grass leaving nothing for the cows {learned this the hard way} .As they grow they will chase the cows away from the food .They will also eat chickens .As to breed if your market is just meat dont spend the money on purebredd .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), February 19, 2001.

Patty,

I was thinking that it might be good to run the pigs in the pasture ahead of the cows. This way, the pigs could eat the legumes so that the cows wouldn't bloat.

My only concern involves cows being in a field with fresh pig manure - any problems there?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), February 19, 2001.

Paul I agree w/ Patty 100% do not waste your money on pure bred pigs if they are for the freezer. I asked the butcher what they prefered and they like pink skinned hogs beause its easier to remove the hair ,he gives me a price break on the pink hogs I bring in. I also learned the hard way cows and pigs DO NOT mix in a field. Our hogs ruined my cows field which will now need to be redone this spring which will cut into my "profiet" of the hogs. I pasture them to a point in a smaller not well growing field.

-- renee (oneillsr@home.com), February 19, 2001.

The pigs will root your WHOLE pasture not just what you want them to .It wont take long and you eill have nothing but dirt .put them some where you want cleared of all vegitation .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), February 19, 2001.

We got three Duroc last summer, supposedly to sell some and put some in the freezer. The boys went, and were delicious, but my husband wound up making a pet of the female, (Patty) so we still have her. We use stock panels and t-posts to make a reasonable sized area, and run an electric wire at about nose height (adjusted as they grow) to keep them from breaking out. I haven't had any problems with them challenging or shorting out the electric, but that's not to say Patty won't figure it out eventually. Without the juice, they will pick the panels right up and walk under them. At least she comes when she's called. (Peppermint flavored horse treats, and darned if she isn't learning to sit on command, too.) For rooting, you might as well learn to take advantage of it. We use it to work up the garden between last frost and spring planting. We dump the barn cleanings in windrows, and they churn it right in. Last spring we didn't even need to plow, just a little light tilling to even things out. During the growing season, we let them work over areas we are trying to clean out. We run the goats to take care of the top growth, then turn the pigs in to get the roots out. Be forwarned, they can leave a spot looking like a mine field. so I would keep them out of your permanent pasture.

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), February 22, 2001.

ON RAISING PIGS:

First we had “Porky”. Next year we got two named “Oscar and Mayer”. Then it was “Hatfield and Hormel”. (we called em Hattie and Mel, for short.) All cheapo, pink pigs from a guy down the road. This past year we bought four. 3 pink and one all-black model. The first year was a makeshift pen out of 48” field fence, on spindly poles, with lots of pallets to patch escape holes. Seems like when the pig gets about 200 pounds, his temperament changes, and you wish he were dead and in the freezer. When the pig breaks out of the pen, and busts up your lattice under the front porch, you have to add that in to the overall cost of raising pigs. The next year, I came home from work one day and DW had built a funny looking 8’ by 10’ corral out of 2x6s on skids. Smart girl!! Oscar and Mayer were towed around in that (pig-tractor) contraption August through December, until it froze fast to the mud. The pigs rooted anything within the confines of that 8x10 area, and when they cleaned out one area, we’d just tow them over a new patch of turnips or fresh grass. It was a pretty good system, as long as the tractor was working, and as long as they weren’t stuck in one frozen area in winter. We fenced in a corner of the pasture the following year, and put “Hattie and Mel” in that. Found that if you drill holes around a stump and put whole corn down the holes, the pigs will dig out most of the stumps for you. The last four pigs used the same field fenced area, but tore it up so bad, that I’m ripping it out now to make a new area out of 2by material. Still haven’t a clue as to what breeds we’ve owned, but they sure were (and are) tasty. Our neighbor uses just one strand of 'hot' wire around their pigs, for years now, and seems to do well with it. (about 6 or 8 inches off the ground) Anyway, have fun, and hope this helps.

-- Action Dude (theactiondude@yahoo.com), February 22, 2001.

I love hearing about all your pig experiences! We had Red Wattles - they were good eatin'. We sure miss having pigs. We want to get two more sows to keep, breed them AI and raise the litters for meat. Have to beef up the hog housing & fencing first, although the passers- by seemed to enjoy seeing us chase the escapees down the road.

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), February 22, 2001.

I love Duroc's and they make good momma's but the boars can be a bit agressive. Actually Durocs are probably (in my opinion) some of the best mommas you can get with yorks coming in second. If you want to breed I would recommend artificial insemination. You can buy a decent semen for around 8 dollars a dose or if somone has a boar you can collect the semen and process it yourself real easy. Sows farrow in 3 months 3 weeks and 3 days. If I can help in any way feel free to email me. God bless, Deb

-- Deb (christianunschooer@usa.net), February 23, 2001.

We have had Chester Whites (great piggies) and we had two duroc/potbellied crosses that were given to us (big mistake). I think that no matter what breed, your piggie will root and root, leaving big holes in the ground. They will either eat, or root up every piece of vegetation in your pasture and whatever is left will be unfit for cows, goats or any other critter. A hog is best put where ever you would like to see a moonscape left or perhaps a small war zone. They are cheaper than bulldozers and almost as effective! Piggie tractors are great as long as you can haul them around as you don't let the pigs stay long enough to do too much damage. We like using portable pens of 16" x 16" cattle panels on metal t-posts that can just be moved from one place to another. We don't leave'em long enough to root under the panels, cause they will if given half a chance. Pigs make great pets, are very smart, are quite bathroom conscious (ours would only use one corner of the pen, the fartherest from the trough), and come when called. They will also bite if you mess with their babies and can run faster than you can imagine. Good luck with your pigs!

-- Cindy (colawson@mindspring.com), February 25, 2001.

Well Paul How did it go ? what did you get ?

Julian

-- Julian (Julian_young@nl.compuware.com), November 01, 2001.