Homesteader Depot

Tag: pigs

  • Simple Pig Weighing Hack

    Simple Pig Weighing Hack

    Did you know that it’s entirely possible to figure out how much your pig weighs without putting it on a scale? Instead, you can use a number of things that you probably have lying around your house to figure out your pigs weight. A few quick measurements and calculations are all that it takes. This is much easier than trying to hoist your pig onto a scale. We’ll cover this useful pig weighing hack and some additional information here.

    Why Do You Need To Know How Much Your Pig Weighs?

    If you’ve been trying to determine when your pig is ready to be slaughtered, or your kids want to use him or her for a 4-H project, then you need to know how much it weighs. It’s good to measure and weigh your pig on a regular basis to ensure that it’s getting enough food and growing at the proper rate. You can then place these measurements in a chart and keep track of growth rates as they compare to the amounts of food provided.

    What You Need To Get Started

    Gathering your supplies constitutes the first step to determining your pig’s weight. You’ll need a tape measure, some twine, and the most important thing – a calculator. Obviously, you also need a pig. Without one, this entire endeavor is fruitless.

    Taking the Measurements

    The best time to take these measurements is while your pig is eating. This provides a good distraction, and you won’t have to deal with attempting to measure a moving animal. You also don’t want to have to dive into the mud in order to handle this task, so don’t do it while it’s wallowing either.

    Once you’ve located your pig at the trough, pull out your tape measure or piece of twine. Whichever is easier to use. You’ll measure the twine at some point anyway, so if you have a tape measure, cut out a step and just use it.

    The very first measurement is the length. This is the total length; from the base of the pig’s tail all of the way to its ears. It’s best to go from the top, measuring along you pig’s back. Hold the tape measure flush in order to get an accurate reading.

    The next measurement is the heart girth. Wrap the tape measure around the body of your pig, parallel to its legs. This is essentially the pig’s circumference as if it were a tree or something.

    Once you have those two measurements, you’ll need to apply them to the formula. This is the heart girth number squared multiplied by the length, which is then divided by 400. Here’s an example:

    A pig has a 60” length and a 54” heart girth. Your formula is 54 X 54 X 60 = 174,960. Then that last number is divided by 400: 174,960/400 = 437.4. The pig weighs 437.4 pounds. That weight includes every part of the pig, organs and all. Once the pig is butchered, you’ll lose about 100 pounds of that weight. This means that you’ll get around 330 pounds of meat from it.

    Conclusion

    Knowing how much your pig weighs is important. We already mentioned the ways in which you can track its growth over time, noting how much you feed it in order to see the ratios form. If your kids are using your pig as their 4-H or county fair project, then that data is very important. You also need to know when the pig will be ready to be butchered. This measurement formula is actually very accurate and will come in handy. It sure beats putting your pig on a scale!

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  • 5 Ways Pigs Are Valuable Beyond Just Meat

    5 Ways Pigs Are Valuable Beyond Just Meat

     

    When you are living off the land, owning animals that can provide you with food can be extremely beneficial. You may grow plenty of crops and fill your pantry with canned vegetables, but if you aren’t getting enough protein, you won’t have the energy to tend to your farm and home.

    While there are some homesteaders who don’t want to commit to raising a large farm or a herd of cattle, there are plenty of other animals such as chickens or turkeys that can ensure you have meat and eggs throughout the year. They are also low-maintenance so that you don’t have to waste a lot of your time caring for them.

    Pigs are another option that will provide you and your family with plenty of meat. While they do require plenty of food, they aren’t as difficult to raise as you may think.

    Here are a few good reasons why you should consider adding pigs to your homestead.

    1. They Will Eat Anything

    Yes, pigs eat a lot, which can be a disadvantage, but they will eat a lot of anything. Many homesteaders make their own dairy products such as cheese or butter. If you have excess whey left over from making cheese, you can feed it to the pigs. They will also eat excess milk from dairy animals, extra eggs from chickens, or any cooked leftovers that you have lying around. That means no more food thrown out the back door and nothing goes to waste.

    1. They are Excellent Tillers

    Pigs will till any area that you place them in. Many people think that the rooting that pigs do naturally is a bad habit and it should be stopped. But it’s only a terrible thing if you have them in an area where you don’t want to disturb the soil. The tilled land where pigs once lived is a suitable place to grow vegetables. That is because along with loosening up the soil, it is also well-fertilized.

     

    3. They Help Eliminate Parasites 

    Pigs are a dead-end for parasites that often become an issue with other farm animals such as cattle, goats, or sheep. Since pigs have internal parasites that are different from other animals, they help clean up the land when they follow other grazing animals. If you place your pigs in a field with grazing animals such as sheep or goats, the pigs will consume the eggs and larvae of the parasites on those animals. Their bodies are capable of digesting the parasites without harm. Goat parasites will not survive inside of pigs.

     

    1. You Receive an Abundance of Meat

    The best thing about raising pigs is the amount of meat that you can get from them. You can add more variety to your diet and create a wide range of meals for your family all while homesteading. And the best thing about it is that you know where the meat came from. You raised the pigs humanely and know exactly what type of diet they consumed.

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    1. Extra Income

    If you end up with more meat than you need, you can always sell the additional meat for profit. Many people will raise pigs just to sell the meat and not keep it for themselves, while others may raise additional pigs to sell. You can choose to sell the pig itself or the meat after it is butchered. Either way, you end up with a substantial profit that can help with supplies during the winter.

    If you want to have enough pork for your entire family, you should get two to three piglets in the spring. Raise them throughout the summer and then butcher them that fall. Then you can do the same the following year. Raising a pig for that period of time will usually produce around 170 to 200 pounds of meat, which should be more than enough meat to keep any homesteader happy.

  • 6 Things You Should Do Before Getting Piglets

    6 Things You Should Do Before Getting Piglets

    I’ve raved quite a  bit in the past about how great pigs are. You can buy them as piglets for a very affordable price, and within a season have a hog big enough to fill your freezer with meat. For the initial start-up cost, space they need, food they eat, and meat they yield, they’re incredibly efficient animals to raise for meat. And, as someone who hates waste, I just love how much you can feed them!

    It’s also relatively easy to feed them virtually for free, which is another big plus. When you buy pork at the supermarket, you have no idea what the animals have been eating, and since pigs virtually retain everything they eat, conventionally-raised pork can be literally quite toxic. But if you raise them yourself, and can control what they consume, there’s no better source of clean, green, delicious pork!

    However, you should definitely know what you’re getting into before you run out and buy a small herd of piglets.

    Here are five things every aspiring pig farmer should know before bringing home piglets:

    1. Find a butcher

    No, seriously. If you live in an area where it’s quite common for local farmers to bring their animals to a butcher after slaughtering, they can be booked up months in advance. If you don’t plan on butchering the animal yourself, which is wise for your first season of pig farming, find yourself someone to butcher it for you before you invest in pigs so you’re sure when the time comes, you’ll be able to bring it in.

    2. Secure housing 

     .

    There are a couple of different options for a secure pigpen, and whatever you choose, make sure it is secure. Pigs are diggers, and many amateur pig farmers can attest to how easily they can plow through improvised fencing. An electric fence is a great option if you can afford it. Do some research into what pig farmers in your area do, as depending on the soil and the amount of rain you get, you might have to bury your fence pretty deep.

    Your pigs will also need adequate shelter to live comfortably, and for both shelter and fencing, you’ll have to bear in mind how big your pigs will get. They’re quite small as piglets, so make sure to think ahead and anticipate how much room they’ll need as they grow.

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    3. Make a meal plan

    Ok, so it’s not going to be nearly as complicated as making a plan to feed your family, but before you bring piglets home, you’ll want to do some research into what you can feed them and where you’ll get it. You can feed pigs scraps from your kitchen and garden for sure, but they will most likely want more than that–a lot more. I already mentioned the many ways you can feed a pig for free, so check those suggestions out and see what you can find for free in your area before you get piglets so you’ve already got a game plan.

    4. Secure their water 

    Pigs aren’t the most delicate of creatures, and especially for little ones, you’ll want to make sure you can get them regular fresh water in a container they can’t tip over…or play with. You’re probably very familiar with the cliche of pigs rolling in the mud and well, it’s true, pigs love to play in the mud, and if you don’t secure their water trough, they’ll be playing in that as well. A heavy, metal trough that can’t be tipped over or easily accessed by the pigs will be your best bet to keep them hydrated and safe.

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    5. Arrange transportation 

    Another aspect of #1 is to make sure you can get them to the butcher when it time comes! Transporting piglets is easy, but transporting a full-sized hog is a totally different story. If you have a truck and trailer, make sure you have a means of herding the pig into the trailer. But don’t just expect them to saunter on up a ramp and into the back of a trailer, pigs won’t be naturally inclined to do that. If that’s your plan, make sure you start training them to do that right away, by doing practice runs starting at a young age. Kind of morbid to train a pig to virtually walk to his own death, I know, but just comfort yourself with the thought of all that delicious meat that will fill your freezer.

    6. Know your breed

    When you buy the piglets, make sure to ask the farmer who sells them to you all about the breed, and jots down their answers if necessary. You’ll want to know how big these porkers will get, what their personality is like, what cuts are the best on them, how tenacious they are at trying to escape, etc. Not all pigs are the same, and fortunately, if you buy your piglets right from the farmer, you can talk directly to the person who raised their parents so they can give you a good idea of what to expect from your own herd.

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  • How to Feed a Pig for Free

    How to Feed a Pig for Free

    The expression “eating like pigs” is a very apt comparison, pigs eat a lot of food! They happen to be one of the most cost-efficient animals you can raise if you’re trying to fill your freezer up with meat for the year, so you’ll want to feed them well, and efficiently.

    Unfortunately, pig feed itself is not only expensive, typically full of GMO corn and soy which is not great for pigs or the humans who eat them, it’s also not everything a pig needs. It’s the pig equivalent of public school cafeteria food daily, so you’ll want to give your hog something more, without breaking the bank.

    Here are some ideas for feeding your pig cheaply, or even entirely for free!

    Pasture 

    If you are able to pasture your pig, do it. This will require adequate fencing, of course, but if you give them a space to root around in, they’ll tear it up for you. You’ll probably still want to supplement their diet, but any opportunity you can get to feed an animal by letting them roam, take it.

    Bakeries

    Ask around local bakeries to see if they will give you discarded bread that is too stale to sell. They’re often happy to give it away, and your pig will be happy to munch on these bakery leftovers.

    Grocery Stores

    Grocery stores also might be willing to give away the produce they can no longer sell, and your pig will love it! Pigs are very undiscerning when it comes to freshness, and many grocery stores might be thrilled to put their produce waste to good use.

    Kitchen scraps

    Of course, you can feed your pigs virtually any leftovers from your kitchen you don’t want! They’ll love everything from vegetable trimmings to leftover casserole no one wants. This is a great way to feed a pig, and reduce waste around the house as well!

     

    Pigs are great homestead animals to raise, and there are so many ways to make doing so healthier and more affordable. If we haven’t convinced you to start raising pigs at this point, I don’t know what will!

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  • More Ways to Profit Off Your Land

    More Ways to Profit Off Your Land

    A few weeks ago, we wrote an article on ways to profit off your land as a homesteader, and we promised there’d be more, so here it is!

    This week’s post on how to profit off your land is all about livestock, dairy, and meat. Being able to raise, consume, and sell your own animal byproducts is one of the biggest appeals of homesteading, and, with the right set-up, experience, and a bit of time, you can conceivably pull quite a profit.

    We already covered eggs, which is a really good start and has relatively low overhead. It’s a great small-scale farming operation, that can bring at least some nice pocket change that will more than offset the cost of feeding and housing your chickens. Here are five ideas for ways to profit off your land by raising and selling animals and/or their byproducts.

    1. Sell Milk

    Raw milk from farm-raised cows is all the rage these days, if you are legally allowed to sell it. A lot of farmers all over the country pull a very nice profit selling fresh raw milk, and it doesn’t take a whole lot to get set up to do it. You can milk by hand or get a commercial milker, just make sure you handle it safely. While in many states it is entirely up to the customer’s discretion if they want to take the “risk” of consuming raw milk, you’ll still want to ensure it is safe, healthy, and clean.

    2. Sell Chickens

    If you have a nice-sized flock of chickens, sell your chicks or extra hens for another source of side cash. A lot of people will be eager to buy hens who have already matured to egg-laying age, or large fryers to eat.

    3. Sell pigs

    Pigs are a very efficient way to raise meat, as they are cheap as piglets, don’t require a lot of space to live, and also mature very quickly. Due to these factors, they’re actually far more cost efficient to raise for meat than cows. You can sell piglets when your sow gives birth, but you’ll make far more money selling fully grown hogs for meat. You can get about $250-300 dollars for one mature hog!

    4. Sell goat cheese

    Goat cheese is a coveted artisan food product, and it’s not too complicated to make. Goats are easy to keep and feed, and can be pretty cost-effective. You can make delicious, fresh, homemade cheese to sell at farmer’s markets and charge a very decent price.

    5. Sell cows

    As opposed to piglets, calves can actually be sold at a very high price. Of course, you typically only get one per cow, you can sell them for $70-$150, and, if you want to keep your cow’s milk all to yourself, this might be a desirable option for you once the calf is big enough to leave her mother.

     

    These are a few more ideas for ways to profit off your homestead land. Let us know if you’ve got ideas and we’ll feature them on an upcoming post.

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  • Slaughtering Pigs: A Simple Guide

    Slaughtering Pigs: A Simple Guide

     

    After investing so much time, energy, money, and emotion into raising your pigs you want things to go right when you slaughter them.  If it is your first time slaughtering a pig, a sloppy kill and messing butchering can really turn you off from wanting to raise pigs in the future.  The following are directions and tips on slaughtering and butchering pigs.  Make sure to thoroughly plan things out before you begin, you will not be able to stop half way through and finish it later.

     

    Clean Kill

    Plain and simple, shot the pig between the eyes.  You do not want to try to bludgeon, or stab an animal that is as large and powerful as a pig.  It could easily only injure the animal, prolonging its suffering and putting you at risk for retaliation.  To get a clean shot, put some tempting feed in a container on the edge of its pen, this will put the pig in one area, holding still, with its head down.

    Cut the Throat

    Cutting the pig’s throat immediately after shooting it will allow it bleed out quickly while the heart is still pumping.

    Clean the Pig

    Get the pig out of the pen and hose it off so that you are working with a pig covered in mud and manure.  Pay close attention to the feet, they are the dirtiest part.

    Raise it

    If you have the ability to get the pig off the ground it will keep things cleaner and easier, though it can be done on the ground if you have to.  Cut into the pig’s legs behind the hoof so that you can pass the knife behind the tendon, leaving the tendon intact.  Pass a rope or chain through the holes and wench the animal to a height that is comfortable for you to work at.

    Remove Skin and Hair

    If you can dunk the whole pig, or half at a time, in hot water, the job will be easier.  But you can get it done just by pouring pots of boiling water on one area at a time.  You can use a specified tool, a “hog scraper”, or just a sharp knife or razor to scrap the hair and outer skin off the animal.

    Remove the Head and Innards

    Unless your pig is still small and you are going to roast it whole, now is when you will want to remove the head.  Then, make your cut to open the pig up.  Start just in front of the anus on the belly side, and go down to the sternum, starting shallow.  If you can open the belly up slowly and then cut around the anus carefully so as not to open the intestines, push the anus through the hole and out the hole in the belly, then remove the intestines and all innards.

     

    At this point you can cut the pig in half with a bone saw, dividing the pig left and right.  Or if the pig is smaller and you have room, you can store the pig whole and butcher it to your preference later.  It’s not for those with a weak stomach.  Before raising a pig, carefully and honestly consider if you are going to be willing and able to process that pig into meat.  If not, raising pigs just isn’t for you.

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  • The Cost-Effectiveness of Homestead Pigs

    The Cost-Effectiveness of Homestead Pigs

    A lot of people don’t like pigs because they’re stinky, dirty and loud. But most people won’t object to bacon, ribs or pork chops. And this is a pretty good reason to have pigs, and why most people raise them!

    Not only are pigs delicious, however, they are also very cost-effective sources of meat, especially if you are looking to be more or totally self-sufficient. Larger meat animals like cows need a lot of space, and smaller meat animals don’t yield anywhere near as much meat.

    But pigs are just perfect! Here are some reasons why they are economical choices for the homestead:

    Space

    As opposed to cows or even goats, pigs need much less space to live. Of course, the bigger the space, the less offensive the smell, but you can keep your pigs in a pen with a minimum of 20 square feet per fully-grown hog. Given how large pigs can get, this is a great use of small space on a homestead for a big meat yield.

    Quick Growth

    It takes about 12 to 18 months until you can butcher a cow. However, if you buy a weaned piglet and give it 24/7 access to food, you can butcher it and fill your freezer up in as little as four months! Buying a piglet every six months will more than exceed your yearly bacon quota.

    Waste Not, Want Not

    One really fantastic advantage of pigs is that you can feed them your slop! Homesteads often produce lots of scraps from the garden or food processing, so you will have to spend very little on pig food if you regularly feed them scraps from your kitchen and garden. Plus it adds variety to their diet!

    Multiple Babies

    Cows only have one or maybe two calfs at a time, but pigs have whole litters! To breed them you will of course need a male and a female, but you can quickly turn your two pigs into nine or ten, which means more pork than you will know what to do with.

    Overall Cost

    Piglets are very affordable, especially compared to weaned calfs that can cost hundreds of dollars. Your average weaned piglet can cost about $50-$100 (depending on your area). And given how much meat you can get in such a short period of time, this is a steal! Add that to the small amount of space they need, how much you can supplement their diet with scraps and how easily you can multiply your herd, this makes pigs a very economical choice for the homestead.