![]() In effect, I had unintentionally allowed the pigs to create their own feedlot, the very thing I was seeking to avoid. As a consequence, the pigs now relied almost exclusively on their grain ration, and manured straight onto bare, unvegetated ground. After a few months of non-stop snout activity, my pasture effectively became a moonscape, pocked here and there with rank, algae-rimmed wallows. Meanwhile, the pigs continued to root the pasture, constantly worrying the soil beyond its capacity to reestablish itself. The green water in these puddles looked as inviting as a neglected kiddie pool in late September. Widespread diarrhea quickly followed, accompanied by weight loss. ![]() While at first I found this habit to be entertaining (and endearing), I commonly observed hogs drinking from this muddy, contaminated water. Because pigs don’t sweat, they created large wallows to cool off. It was all rainbows and butterflies for a few months, but the trouble began soon thereafter. Can pigs actually smile? Healthy pigs sure appear to! I’ve dubbed this scenario “Pastured Pigs, version 1.0”. Aside from checking on their daily feed and water, the pigs pretty much took care of themselves. Before I knew it, I was the owner of 60 healthy, frolicking pigs running hither and yon, all different colors, sizes and personalities. We gave them unrestricted access to feed, water and forage, and things went so well that a month later I purchased 20 more, then 20 more again. From the first moment they stepped off the trailer these pigs were in hog heaven, rooting the ground, grazing lush legumes and napping contentedly beneath our scattered shade trees. During my first attempt at raising pastured pigs, I turned loose a group of twenty 50 pound piglets onto 15 acres. Raising Pigs on Pasture: An Evolution Version 1.0Įveryone has to start somewhere, and our farm is no different. Quick note: This article is intended for successfully raising stockers on pasture, not farrowing sows. In an attempt to remedy this, here’s a list I wish had been available when I started out, knowledge I’ve gained from raising pastured stocker pigs for over fifteen years. I wanted a better understanding of how pigs might fertilize depleted soils and interact with other livestock species, all the while producing mouth-watering bacon and hams. In hindsight, I’m not sure these restoration philosophies existed in one place. When I began farming full-time in the mid 1990s, information about free-range pig systems at that time amounted to a few paragraphs in How To livestock books, or imaginative applications such as Polyface’s now famous Pigaerator Pork.īut I needed a system that accounted for seasonality and scaleability, combining modern efficiencies with old-fashioned husbandry practices. As producers abandoned traditional outdoor systems and embraced confinement hog buildings, decades of hard-won wisdom quietly slipped through our fingers. On a diversified farm, raising free-range hogs makes sense and cents.ĭespite a rich tradition of pastured pig husbandry, a generation of experience and know-how was lost during the second half of the 20th century. They gleaned fallen fruit, rooted up mouse nests, and fertilized the soil, all for pennies on the dollar. My own grandfather, who considered swine an afterthought to his primary orchard and cattle business, took time to turn hogs loose amongst his apple trees from fall to spring. From the A-frame pasture sleds of the Midwest to the oak-rich mountains of Appalachia, free-range pork has long been a brushstroke on our agricultural landscape. Long before confinement barns, farrowing crates and manure lagoons became industry norms, pastured pigs were raised and finished on grass from coast to coast. In fact, hogs have been raised in American meadows and woodlots since our country’s inception. The thicker and taller the grass, the more resilient the pasture recovery.
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