Five Tips On Pig Farming That Will Help You Keep Healthy And Happy Pigs

If you have some room in your backyard, you can consider keeping pigs to provide an affordable meat supply for your family. The advantage of using pigs you've raised yourself for food is that you are sure that the meat is free from antibiotics and other chemicals that might damage your family's health. Here are some of the basics of how to pig farm.

First, when you're starting to learn how to pig farm, you have to know how to pick the right piglets. A healthy four- to eight-week young pig should weigh around twenty to fifty pounds. Avoid getting the runt of the litter even at a bargain price unless you want to raise it as a pet since it will not grow into a good source of meat. You will raise the pig for around five months, or until it weighs some 200 to 220 pounds, which will give you an estimated 135 pounds of meat products, such as ham, bacon and lard. If you let the pig grow beyond this weight, it will no longer be economical since the additional poundage will be mostly fat.

Proper pig housing is an important part of how to pig farm. Ideally, you should keep the pig outside, in a fenced in area so they can get plenty of exercise and their meat will mostly be lean. You should also provide a three-sided shelter to protect the pigs from the hot sun. Shade is very important for pigs since they do not sweat and their skin burns easily. You might also consider digging a water hole or a mud wallow so the pig can cool off, or spray them with water from a hose daily.

The proper food for your pig is also an essential aspect of how to pig farm. While you can feed them with scraps and soiled produce from your garden, this should not be their only food source. Ideally you should supplement this with pig feed that has the vitamins and nutrients they need to keep them healthy but which has no antibiotics. If you want to fatten the pig quickly, you can also give it a diet of grain supplemented with vitamin and mineral additives.

One neglected aspect of how to pig farm is the pigs' water supply. They should have a lot of water in order to stay healthy, and this should be refreshed on a daily basis. Finally, make sure to keep your pigs free of disease. A wormer should be given every month in pellet form which you can feed to them because it is slightly sweetened. Also, have them vaccinated for the most common swine diseases by your local veterinarian.

So keep these points in mind. You will find that learning how to pig farm 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 pig and avoid deadly mistakes, take a look at: www.howtoraisepigs.com