Of course, there’s this misconception that pigs can eat almost anything. Since feeder pigs are bred specifically for weight gain and slaughter, what you feed them matters and often determines how fast they grow and the quality of meat they produce. The pork from uncastrated male pigs tends to have a slightly off-putting flavor known as boar taintįor these reasons, male pig management (castration) must come into play unless you choose a few sows and a boar for breeding purposes so you can start producing your own feeder pigs instead of buying them.

Feeder sows can start breeding as early as their fourth month, which would be right around the time you would want to sell or slaughter them for their meat.If this is the case, it’s always a good idea to ensure the male pigs are castrated. In many cases, you will find that there are male pigs as well as sows on your pig farm. It’s, therefore, absolutely important to start by deciding what you want to produce. Some are specifically bred for their ability to give birth to lots of young piglets. As you would expect, some pig breeds are better at producing pork, while others are better at producing bacon. These pig breeds are ideal not only because they have a high growth rate and weight gain but also because they offer excellent meat quality. With that in mind, here are some of the most logical pig breeds to be raised as feeder pigs: However, since meat production is the main aim here, it’s only logical that some pig breeds are better suited for this purpose than others. What Are the Best Pig Breeds for Feeder Pigs?Īs mentioned, feeder pigs can be any pig breed provided you are raising them for the sole purpose of slaughter. Whether you are an experienced farmer who has raised livestock before or someone just starting out wanting to raise pigs, here’s what to know about raising feeder pigs. The other half involves raising them properly. What Do You Need to Raise Feeder Pigs?Īs a farmer looking to raise pigs on your farm, knowing exactly what you need to raise these animals properly is at least half the battle.

Piglets are typically bought when they weigh around 40 pounds or more and are around eight weeks old. In many cases, these piglets will have ideally been weaned and moved on to transitional grower feed. Many farmers prefer to purchase feeder pigs when they are young piglets. However, how soon you wean the pig and raise it to the point of slaughter will depend on the specific breed, the type of feed you give it, and other conditions. This feeding period can be anything from 5 – 6 months. This can be any breed of pig, provided it’s being fed and fattened in readiness for slaughter. Feeder pigs are pigs that are being raised with the sole purpose of slaughtering and turning them into pork. The first thing that should be mentioned is that feeder pigs aren’t a specific breed of pig. That being said, let’s take a quick look at what feeder pigs are and what you would need to participate in that projected $257,874.5 million market. The best part is that raising them isn’t quite as complicated as it might seem. This kind of upward trajectory can only mean better things for pig farmers across the globe.įeeder pigs make up a big part of this equation. The global swine industry’s size stood at an impressive $236,112.7 million in 2019 and is projected to grow to an astounding $257,874.5 million by 2027. This calls for answering questions such as what are feeder pigs? How long does it take to raise feeder pigs? And what are the pros and cons of raising feeder pigs? Part of proper management involves acquiring the right kind of knowledge. Raising feeder pigs is one of the most profitable farming endeavors, provided you manage it correctly.

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