Pastured Pigs

We have raised a variety of different pigs over the years, but we just haven’t seemed to find THEE ONE breed that we like best. We have had Idaho Pasture pigs, American Spots, Durocs, as well as a few cross breeds. The one thing that remains the same and unchanged though is how each is raised… and that is out in the pasture!

In the years past once the summer garden was done we would then purchase piglets in August or September. They would then freely roam throughout the garden area rooting up what was left and ultimately fertilizing the garden for the next year for us for free! Come spring time February or March they would then head off to the butcher so we could start the garden all over again.

While we had normally always purchased piglets off of a local farmer, earlier this year we decided it was about time that we started breeding our own pigs. We are eagerly waiting on our first of four litters due any day now; but it has seemed longer than the typical 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days gestation time for pigs.

In case you didn’t know:

The term hog covers any age, status or gender of animal.
A boar is a mature male hog.
A barrow (shortened to bar) is a castrated boar
A sow is a female that has reproduced.
A gilt is a female that has not reproduced.
A shoat (shote) is any young hog that has been weaned.
A pig is any unweaned baby hog.
And a piglet is only the very youngest baby hog.

And if you’d like to hear an interesting story some time, just ask us about how a “little dirt does hurt”. We promise it won’t be like anything you ever heard before!