How to Raise a Pig for Food
In a slow economy, it can be difficult to provide for your family. Many people turn to self-sufficiency when times are tough. Raising your own food can be a rewarding adventure and economical compared to buying the same food at a grocery store. Other benefits include reducing your carbon footprint by raising your own animals instead of buying meat and not knowing what went into raising the animal. There are two ways to accomplish getting meat out of a pig you've raised yourself: slaughter it yourself or take it to someone else to slaughter. There are pros and cons to both ways for different people.
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Instructions
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Build a pen for your future pig. The pen should include a shelter and enough room outside for the pig to roll around. A pond or area for puddles is necessary, as is a trough for feeding and a trough for water. Bear in mind that a small piglet will become a large animal. A shelter should be large enough for a 250 to 300 lb. animal.
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A healthy piglet can grow to be an economical addition to your freezer. Buy a piglet. Be sure you're purchasing a quality, healthy piglet. Visit a breeder. If the pigs don't seem like they're in a healthy environment, don't buy a piglet from that breeder.
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Supplement your pigs grazing with kitchen scraps and commercial feed. Feed and water the pig. Pigs will drink up to 3 gallons of water a day, so be sure you have plenty of clean water available at all times. Pigs are living garbage disposals. You can feed them vegetable scraps, kitchen scraps, weeds, garden clippings, grass and other things, including eggs. You can sometimes buy vegetables past their prime for next to nothing from farmers, restaurants or grocery stores. Pigs are big eaters, however, their diet should be supplemented with a commercial feed containing at least 20 percent protein.
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Your pig will be at slaughtering size in the fall. Decide how you will slaughter your pig. You can do the job at home or take the pig to a slaughter house. Make an appointment early if you choose a slaughter house. Prime slaughter weight is 200 to 250 lbs. Bigger pigs cost more to have slaughtered and the additional weight is mostly fat.
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References
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