Does anyone raise hogs to butcher? I have 4 that will be ready to go Jan. 14. They are around 200 lbs now. They are free range on pasture now. I feed them cracked corn and a 10% sweet feed plus scraps and goat milk when I have extra. I got them some pumpkins yesterday.
So my ? is, should I put them up now in a pen for these last few weeks and try to get them bigger or just leave them out? I really do not want totally fat hogs like I had before. I want more lean meat. I have also heard that hogs finished on acorns are the best meat. So I am going up the road to an oak grove and gather acorns later.
I had gotten the hog finisher a few weeks ago at $10 a bag but the girl I got them from said she never switches her feed. She's never noticed a difference when she did and for the $ it's not worth it. So I'll keep doing what I've been doing feed wise.
Any advice would be great right now. I would like to get them a little bigger as I will be selling 2 of them. That's another thing. How much is pork going for now?? i really have no idea how much to charge per pound plus proc. cost.
I'm by no means an expert...we raised 4 last year and are going to again this spring. We didn't change any feeding or move ours beforehand and they turned out great! We did sell 2, my advice would be to call around to your local meat processors and ask them how much they charge and go from there. If I remember right, we charged per pound and also had the people who bought them pay for the processing...that way they could pick them up themselves at the processor and we didn't have to deal with keeping everyones order in line!!! I hope this helps alittle!! Melissa Farmgirl Sister #360
Life isn't about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain!
Hogs are really my thing Kris, I'm a sheep girl myself. But, our 4-H swine project leader, who raises about 6 hogs a year swears by corn and beer the last month. Hogs need a decent amount of fat on them or they will dry out while hanging and taste dry when cooked.
She gets her corn from wal-mart 'cause it's cheaper and any ole beer will do.
You're gonna love it. We just picked up our freezer lamb and OMG yum yum.
We always raised our own hogs. We never changed anything the last weeks. However, I would suggest putting them in the pen for the last few weeks, since yours are "free range". They will put more weight on that way. Also relize that 200lbs isn't a lot for a pig. We usually do not kill till they are close to 300lbs and some have been well over 400lbs.
Pork on the hoof ( not processed) is going for around 99 cents a pound. If it is slaughtered and packaged it is usually double the "on the hoof" price. So in our area that would be around $2.00 per lb. The pricing will vary by area. Try calling a local slaughter house for pricing in your neck of the woods.
Lamb is so much easier to raise! I had some and just grass feed them. And they weren't escape artists, either!
Corn is now $7.00 for 50 lbs. It went way down lately. I'll have to try some beer now.
And I will have them pick up their meat when it's ready. I have no room here.
There is a guy on the mountain that sells his for $3 a lb. and his aren't even organic. So I guess I could sell mine for at least that much. I'll still never get all my money back thet I have spent on them. But at least they'll be gone!
Finishing Hogs
Posted - Dec 16 2008 : 04:19:41 AM
