question for old hog farmers.

[Al Baker(pumpman)]

I have a new problem with raisings pigs in 2021. Feed is expensive just like always, but when the pigs are finished it is very likely that you will have to wait for an opening at the butcher. If you keep feeding free choice feed pigs just keep getting bigger, eat large amounts of feed. If they get to big some customers dont like them, plus a pen of ten will easily go through a ton a feed every two weeks. This extra feed cost eats all the profit away. My question is, can a guy switch from feeding a grower grain to maybe ear corn to lower the feed cost, and slow down growth If so will this affect flavor? For my 30+ years growing some hogs we just called a packer to take them in when ready. Never had to wait much over a week or two, Now its a few months or more, impossible to time getting feeder pigs, and their size, plus arranging buyers, and now a appointment at the butcher. How can I slow down growth and not affect flavor? I have to keep their bellies pretty full or they fight and push and get out. It takes a really good pen to hold 10 - 250 lbs. angry pigs in. Al
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[fixerupper]

More bulk like oats works OK. I am so far removed from the hog business I have forgotten some of this stuff. Back when this human disease was first going wild among the workers in the packing plants last spring my son who is in the feed hauling business said they were hauling a maintenance ration to the fat hogs at that time. The packing plants were closed or at reduced production so the hogs in the confinements had to be held back. This maintenance ration had so much bulk the feed trailers almost didn't have enough room for a normal 27 ton load. When dad had bred sows he had them on self feed but the feed was full of oats and ground alfalfa so the sows didn't get fat but had enough energy to grow the pigs in their bellies. Oats have protein but not much fat. I am sure there was some corn in there too because straight oats and ground alfalfa wouldn't feed down in a self feeder. I'm sure some other guys who are up on this can give you better information.

 

[cjunrau]

Feed cheap hay and straw. I never found the flavour to change. If anything it got better. I raised 4 one year on Uncombined flax straw bales and alfalfa bales. No grain. Takes a long time to finish but I could only eat 1.5 a year and didn’t want to stick money into them. They pastured all summer. Last one that got butchered was 2.5 -3 years old and 500 lbs.

 

[bc]

Knew a guy that raised a couple buffalo at a time to butcher for the family. He said he would have to take both to the butcher at the same time or one by itself would tear up the whole place trying to get out.

 

[JayinNY]

I second oats.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

We used to like to get the hogs up over 350 to kill most people back then claimed the meat was better on the larger hogs.

 

[Bruce from Can.]

Hogs will taste like pork no matter the feed. I would feed hay in the ration and cut back on the high protein grain. We always marketed our our pigs at 220lb to get the best back fat index possible. If market hogs got too fat, we only got sow prices.

 

[Kansas4010]

I have a steer to butcher. Local butcher said he's booked for over a year.

 

[jon f mn]

I have the same issue with finding a butcher. I scedual the appointments as soon as I get the pigs and have had good luck. You can feed some oats, barley or hay in with the corn to slow the growth. Is a sow type ration used to maintain breeding stock.

 

[Mike M]

Anyone know why these butchers are so backed up ? It has been that way here in Ohio even pre nnalert ? Did many just go out of business ? Wonder if some sort of regulations changed ?

 

[Bill Tattersall]

Back in the 70's at a marina where I used to fish, at the fish cleaning table there was always an abundance of fish heads, tails, guts, etc. that had to be disposed of. We had a captain who was raising some hogs and started taking all the refuse from the cleaning table home for the hogs. Well, the hogs loved the stuff but, if you have never tasted fish flavored pork, I don't recommend it.

 

[jon f mn]

When the nnalert hit large processors slowed or shut down leaving producers with animals they couldn't get rid of. So many went to direct marketing to keep from destroying their stock. This quickly overwhelmed the local shops. It has actually made it easier to sell direct if you can get in because the public has taken to it. I have no problem selling all I can raise, at least so far. When these hogs are gone I will have sold 35 hogs in a year. Cattle are all sold out for 6 months and sell as soon as I can buy them.

 

[David G]

I think you have to plan several months out now, it is that way around here.

 

[Texasmark1]

On 100% ration comparison, I usually fed a propriety corn mix from a mill named "Farley's (owner of the grain mill) Show Gilt". Raised as fine an animal and mouthfull of pork anyone could ask for. One year I got the bright idea to save some bucks and feed milo rather than corn.......Bigggggg mistake. The finish and flavor just weren't there. Don't know about the other grains mentioned and the effect mixing would have.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Most of the small butchers around here are gone. Either aged out and retired with nobody to take over, or pushed out by the USDA because they weren't clean enough.

 

[DoubleR]

I sell direct 10-12 steers a year, been doing so for a long time. I usually would call my processor about Feb. and make appointments for them starting in May and ending in August. I was lucky last year to have made them pre C---d. Last summer she called me in July and wanted me to make my appointments for this coming summer. I haven't even got my calves yet for this year at that time. She said she was booked through Feb of this year already at that time. She said she was getting all kinds of new customers and wanted to make sure she took care of their regulars first.

As already mentioned people are going to buying direct off the farm more. I know I don't have any problem selling them and here very little about the cost. Although I have a good customer base and people who have been buying from me for years. Direct sales is one of the few advantages I have with all the city people moving into my area and all the Farmers who have sold out around me. Its the reason I have been able to make money on a small operation.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

Back when I was a kid people turned their hogs to be killed loose to go into the woods and mountains to fatten up on acorns and Persimmons,that made for some great pork.

 

[bc]

Well, if push comes to shove, you can always invite us all over for a pig roast.

Knew a guy who built a roaster out of barn tin about 6' long, 3' wide, and 3 plus feet tall and then a lid on hinges. 2by4 frame with holes at the end for a spit. Torch the hair off, run the spit through, and then wrap it with chicken wire and bracing with clamps to hold it on the spit. Sit the roaster on the ground and put a circle of charcoal all the way around the inside. Just added a little charcoal during the day and sprayed it with apple juice.

 

[Mike Fitz]

As people have said, add roughage, oats, alfalfa,(ground will cut waste) straw should work too but I've never tried it, I'm sure there are other things that will work too, we got out of hogs 20 years ago, still kinda miss them.
Mike

 

[Bill(Wis)]

Chopped alfalfa hay worked for my uncle who was a long time hog farmer. He'd through a few cobs of corn in with it. He would hold them hoping that the price would go up. We never had any problem moving cattle for market. Plenty of cattle truckers and meatpacking plants in Green Bay, Milwaukee, Chicago and St Paul. I can remember when hogs were selling for 10 cents a pound. Eisenhower years. Soil bank came into being and farmers sold everything they had at auction and put the land in the soil bank. At $50 per acre, if you had 200 acres, $10000 free and clear. No way you could make that kind of money farming.

 

[centralilbaler]

Just got done taking 3 to the butcher last week. They avg'd 342 live weight. Butchering appointments are at a premium now here also. Drop the percentage of protein in their feed. That will slow their growth down

 

[gab]

There's a locker plant that advertises on the radio maybe a couple of times a week, sells a lot deli type stuff and puts together packages for parties.

Then he has his butchering schedule which last time I heard was around a year out. That place I think is a little over an hour from me but some day I want to go over there and see what he's got. Makes me hungry ever time I hear him.

 

[gab]

There's a locker plant that advertises on the radio maybe a couple of times a week, sells a lot deli type stuff and puts together packages for parties.

Then he has his butchering schedule which last time I heard was around a year out. That place I think is a little over an hour from me but some day I want to go over there and see what he's got. Makes me hungry ever time I hear him.

 

[Robert (ID)]

We got 4 weiners back the end of june (maybe 20 lbs).. I was luck and the buthcer was coming a week later to get a beef.. At that time i told him to work me in when he had an opening, 2 left just after the first of the year the others are suppose to leave the first of april..

 

[dwag]

Used to help neighbor round up "timber hogs", they were wild and FAST.