pig smell

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So, I'm thinking about getting a weaner pig (or a pair.) So, like, just how bad do they smell? The books all say how they're the cleanest barnyard animal, if given a chance, etc...And about how much would it cost to bring a 30 lb'er to 200 lbs?

-- snoozy (allen@oz.net), August 20, 2000

Answers

The smell is worse when it's wet .Just don't put them to close to the house .I love my pigs .A 40lb pig here runs $35.00 to $45.00

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), August 20, 2000.

I have 6,000 head of hogs 1/4 mile east of my house. I'd GIVE'M all away if I could. The wind is out of the east EVERY SINGLE DAY! Well, it seems like it anyhow. They are in a confinment and fed all that chemical laden grub to make'm grow and that makes'm stink even more. If one runs hogs on the ground and don't overcrowd'm or feed'm this feed full of steroids/antibotics etc, they tend to not stink hardly at all. Matt. 24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), August 20, 2000.

a gentleman that i work with used to raise hogs. one year he tracked the cost of feeding them. he noticed that right before the 200lb. mark they started eating a lot more feed and gained weight slower than before. the next year he planted hills of zuchinni. if you have ever planted zuch's you know there is no shortage. he said that about the time his hills were providing more than he could stand was about the same time his pigs started closing in on 200. he fed them tons of zuchinni and saved on his feed bill. he said it was the leanest and best tasting bacon he ever ate. hope this helps. good luck.

-- Amber (ambrosia75_@hotmail.com), August 20, 2000.

The trick to keeping the smell down from our last 2 pigs, was to spread wood stove ashes over the corner of the pen they used for the "pig potty". We did this once a week or whenever we noticed the "aroma".

-- Stephanie Masters (ajsd@gateway.net), August 20, 2000.

Pigs are called the cleanest critters in the barnyard 'cause they potty as far from their food as they can get.

I've only raised one pig at a time for the table, and their droppings did not smell bad. I have a pet hog, now 2 years old, and his droppings also don't have a bad odor. I believe it's how they're fed. I only feed their pellets and they graze the Coastal grass on the acreage. No extras. Well, the pet hog does get Clovite to keep his skin supple.

There's a pig ranch a few miles down the road (where I got mine from), and they only feed pig pellets. There's no odor. Yep, I bet it's the way they're fed!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), August 21, 2000.



On your question about how much it will cost to raise a 30 poung piglet to a 200 pound pig, there is no exact answer to it. Feeding efficiency for a pig is normally between 4 and 5, that is it takes between four and five pounds of feed to put on one pound of gain. That is also affected by the feed used and some breeds are better than others at gaining weight. Also, if it is supplemented by kitchen scraps, garden trimmings or pasture grasses. You can get a rough idea by using 4.5 times 170 or 765 times the cost per pound of feed. This ignores any additional housing or fencing costs.

-- Ken S. in TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 21, 2000.

First, get 2 piggies or more. They are social animals, and will do much better if you have at least 2. They also compete for the feed, and grow better. If you need only 1 for your larder, you can sell the second, either as a side, or the whole pig, and your cost will be a lot less for the one you keep. They will help you clean out the garden, or the kitchen. Our mantra is that there is no such thing as garbage when we have piggies. I find 200 to 250 lbs (live weight) to be the best butchering weight for me. Others may have differing opinions. They are very clean IF they have enough space, and as previously stated, they will not deficate anywhere near where they are fed. Probably the best animals to raise for meat in my never to be humble opinion. Try some, but get at least 2. I think you'll enjoy them as animals and as freezer fare. Caution - do not name them, or if you do, tell the butcher not to tell you which one goes in your freezer! And I DO recommend a butcher! It is a huge task to process a pig if you are not experienced and have lots of experienced help. GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), August 23, 2000.

== First, get 2 piggies or more. They are social animals, and will do much better if you have at least 2. They also compete for the feed, and grow better. ==

I've only had one pig at a time, get them at 4 weeks old, and I don't know how much better they can grow if you have 2. I free feed, and only feed pellets and pasture. The day before the last one turned 5 months, he weighed 235 pounds. How much better can it get??!! Some will go 6 months, depends how little stress is in their life. I've found that the less stress, they seem to reach the desired weight sooner. My pigs have very little fat on them, belly line is straight. Meat is s-u-p-e-r-b!!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), August 23, 2000.


Hi,

I always had three pigs at a time. Two to sell, one to keep. The other two paid for the raising and butchering of my pig. (mine ended up being free) I sold my pigs for $2.50 a pound, live weight. Sorry, I don't remember how much it cost in feed now and I didn't have time to do it this year.

I found that my pigs did not smell because I didn't give them any meat scraps. Someone I know feeds all the leftover goat milk to her pigs and they filled out quicker and they loved it.

They are cute when young (I had one that would plop on her back to have a belly rub.) but get obnoxious as they get older and bigger.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), August 25, 2000.


IF YOU KEEP THEM CLEAN THEY WON'T STINK

-- Daniel (cag@icansurf.com), August 26, 2000.


My freind Scott has 2 potbellies for pets and 3 others for eating and he lets all 5 have the run of 3/4 acre with a horse and goat. No smell, and he doesn't feel he loses that much butcher weight. His thinking, the extra weight aquired through penning is more fat and flab.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), August 27, 2000.

Thanks for all the encouraging info. Can anyone tell me what is the difference between a weaner pig and a feeder pig?

-- snoozy (allen@oz.net), August 27, 2000.

Wow -- now ain't that odd?! I asked this question back this summer, and that last person picked it up out of the archives to make that very intelligent comment. Seems like a full name on the e-mail address, but I think I won't ask for further clarification...what ugliness out of the blue. Too much meth maybe, or not enough.

-- snoozy (allen@oz.net), December 19, 2000.

I raised a weaner pig this year to get rid of our goat milk. We bought him at around 20# at about six months he weighed about 150# hanging weight, a few days ago I figured out it cost about $220 but all we bought was pig feed and half of what he ate was goat milk

-- Naomi (beebedz@juno.com), December 20, 2000.

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