Farm I love the Large Black Hog Breed

[Kathy in WV]

Just raising awareness for an endangered breed I'm helping to save. Their breeding numbers are extremely low. Commercial breeders want ultra fast growers with light pink meat. These guys are old world type and grow a little slower, have micro marbled meat and full flavor. They are grazers and foragers and given enough acreage will fill their bellies from the land. Mine LOVE to look for crawdads after a rain, its like ambrosia to them, lol. They're also very intelligent, very gentle and excellent mothers. I have 16 right now! It also doesn't hurt that they resemble baby elephants when young!

 

[Kathy in WV]

My young boar.... Rooty.

 

[Kathy in WV]

Last one....

the kids call the piglets "the bacon bits". Thanks for letting me share the breed!

 

[Tristan]

Those are beautiful!

If I had some acreage and the time, I'd help you keep the line going.

:-)

 

[Faroe]

Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful pigs.

I want to raise some pigs when we get out of town. I love good pork, but don't trust the supermarket stuff.

 

[imaginative]

Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful pigs.

I want to raise some pigs when we get out of town. I love good pork, but don't trust the supermarket stuff.

What Faroe said.

Great pics

 

[Publius]

Good to read the kids have sense of humor and it comes off like they understand they will end up on the table.

 

[FireDance]

How much longer does it take them to reach maturity? They're REALLY pretty. I wouldn't mind helping either if I had some average.

 

[Kathy in WV]

Well, if any of you ever move to a farm and need info or contacts close to you, let me know and I can help. If you would also just like to find a breeder in your state to buy pork from I also may be able to help there too. There is an organized breeders association that is working hard to preserve the breed and also help buyers find sellers....etc.

FireDance, it depends what size you want to butcher and how much extra feed you push but really an animal grows its own rate. Eight to 9 months would give you a nice tender hog around 275#.

Pub, they're on a working farm and theres just no avoiding whats going to happen. We raise the animals all humanely... well fed, well treated... even loved. I do differentiate for the little kids that its better to get attached to the breeders because they will be here several years. The oldest boy, at 16, is pretty much a man now so no issues there. The 8 yr old boy took some work. I finally had to ask him was keeping them all alive worth giving up BACON.... he's on board with the program now, lol.

 

[summerthyme]

Kathy... are there any breeders around upstate NY? My son and his wife are looking at getting started in heritage pigs. They raised a pair last year on pasture and found they had a large market for the pork. But they don't want the conventional hogs...

Summerthyme

 

[BigFootsCousin]

I'll be buying some breeding stock in about a year. I've got tons of experience with Hampshires and Durocs, but nothing else. Kathy, do you have a favorite online site that shows the typical characteristics of the heritage breeds? This is all new to me (Heritage breeds), and my wife is excited about getting some good hogs.

BFC

 

[Freeholder]

BFC, one starting place might be the ALBC website. They have lists of endangered breeds, and a lot of links to articles.

Also the Oklahoma State University has a livestock breeds website -- you could browse there for hours!

Summerthyme, I talked to a lady a few years ago (I've bought a couple of goats from her) who lives up near Portland (OR). They raise pigs, and feed the pigs a lot of goat milk -- she said that they can't raise enough pigs to meet the demand for milk-fed pork!

Kathleen

 

[Kathy in WV]

Kathy... are there any breeders around upstate NY? My son and his wife are looking at getting started in heritage pigs. They raised a pair last year on pasture and found they had a large market for the pork. But they don't want the conventional hogs...

Summerthyme

Sorry, got busy and hadn't checked this thread. Give me a day or two, to find names and numbers. I'm pretty sure theres several up there. Your sons going to love working with these pigs.

 

[Kathy in WV]

I second the ALBC (American Livestock Breeds Conservancy) website. If its endangered its on there. Most of the Heritage breeds have Registries with a website full of info, breed standards, forums etc... The Large Black Hog Association ( largeblackhogassociationdotorg) switch the "dot" to a. "." Will even help you plan your breedings by determining what the coefficient is between any boar and sow. The coefficient basically is the percentage of inbreeding between two animals, which is important when breeding numbers are low!

 

[Kathy in WV]

This is from back in the Fall. Notice how those big ears fall forward and protect the eyes? When shes foraging for mast in thick brush those ears stop just about everything that might ruin an eye. She has a nice LONG swhat nout for catching hold of nuts, roots, hidden eggs lol, and her snout is super accurate when it goes for something.

This pig is a tank on feet and shes juvenile and still growing. She will top out at 800-900# and is 6 ft plus already. I was working up to saying we never buy adult hogs for our herd because you can't really know what you don't raise yourself. Yes it takes just a little longer to start with a small piglet, but its worth it! Pigs are very smart and you need them to trust you. You can't be mean to them because they sure won't forget, lol! They also won't forget who feeds, gives treats, scratches,lets them out for a walk, etc... I swear this is true.... my hubby can tell this Momma pig " YOU GET THOSE BABIES BACK IN THE BARN RIGHT NOW!" and they actually go!!!!!