3 Critical Factors For Raising Pigs At Home Easily

Raising pigs for food can be a rewarding family
project. To begin, feeder pigs are purchased as
weaned piglets at 68 weeks old.  They
should be healthy and in good condition when
purchased.  They are raised to market
weight, 200250 pounds, at about 6 months of age.
Characteristics to look for include smooth hair
coat, pink skin color and alertness. Feeder pigs
should weigh about 40 pounds at purchase.

3 Vital Factors For Raising Pigs At Home:

1) Water: A pig will drink 24 gallons of water a
day. Clean, fresh water should be available at
all times. There are many types of automatic
waterers available, or you can simply provide a
tub of water. Watering systems should be checked
and cleaned regularly, especially during warm
weather. If a water tub is provided secure it
firmly as pigs will root under it and spill the
contents.

2) Management: Pigs will stay clean if you let
them. They will designate an area for eating,
sleeping and elimination of waste. If they are
house inside leave a space free of bedding to be
used for waste. In an outside pen, the pig will
establish its own preferences. Remove manure
from pen daily and keep pen dry to reduce odors.
Consider your neighbors when planning the
location of your housing and manure storage
areas. Keeping the manure storage area dry helps
to reduce odors, consider covering manure to keep
out rain. Composted pig manure makes an excellent
addition to garden soils.

3) Housing: Before you bring a pig home have a
place prepared to house your pig. Pigs need
protection from the elements. In warm weather
they need a place that is dry and protected from
the sun. In cold weather pigs also need a dry
place that is protected from the cold and wind.
Size the pen to accommodate the pig as it grows.
Pigs need enough space to move comfortably. Young
pigs weighing 50 pounds need at least 46 square
feet per pig. When they have reached market
weight 200250 pounds they need 1012 square feet
of space each.

Pigs may be kept outside during warm weather.
Fencing for pigs is an important consideration.
You may use a permanent, 'hogtight' woven wire
fence with a board around the bottom to
discourage digging, or you may use temporary
moveable electric fencing systems if you train
the pigs to it. A moveable fencing system allows
you to use the pigs to clear and work a piece of
land they will get some of their feed from
'pasture', it will keep the pig pen from
becoming muddy and reduce odors.

If you keep pigs outside, be sure to provide
protection from the sun, pigs have sweat glands
on their snouts only and will sunburn and over
heat quickly. What ever housing and fence system
you use, make sure it is pig tight. Pigs are very
intelligent animals, if there is a weak point in
the pen, they will find it and they will get
out.

----------------------------------------------------
So remember these pointers in mind. You will find
that learning raising pigs at home does not need
to be difficult when you're learning from
someone who have experienced. If you would like
more tips on how to raise pigs, take a look at:
http://www.howtoraisepigs.com

EasyPublish this article: http://submityourarticle.com/articles/easypublish.php?art_id=223287

>