If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to raise pigs on your hobby farm, look no further. We spoke with Deborah Niemann, a homesteader, writer and self-sufficiency expert, to learn all of her best practices, tips and tools.
Raising pigs on your homestead or hobby farm can be a fun addition. Whether you’re seeking a new meat source or just want to try your hand at raising them, pigs are a great option for any homesteader.
But often, adding a new livestock animal to your already flourishing farm can be a daunting task. Pigs require some intentional planning, sturdy fencing and housing and proper nutrition.
In this article, we talk with a homesteading expert to learn all of the ins and outs of getting started raising pigs.
Meet Deborah Niemann
Deborah Niemann, the Thrifty Homesteader, and her family moved to the country in 2002 to raise their own food organically.
“We were completely clueless,” Niemann says. “City slickers who knew nothing. We had this crazy idea that people have been growing their own food since the dawn of agriculture. So, it couldn’t be that hard, right?”
But what seemed to be a simple endeavor turned out to be a bit more complicated than she had anticipated.
“My husband and I decided we were going to get every farm animal known to man. We were going to do just fine. We made a few mistakes and learned quite a lot as we went along.”
Interestingly, Niemann’s stumble into raising pigs began on her journey as a vegetarian.
“In the beginning, I said we would never have pigs. That was the one animal we would not have. I was convinced pigs were just meat animals, and we were vegetarians. So, there was no reason for us to raise them. Plus, I thought they were stinky.”
When asked, “So what got you interested in raising pigs, then?” Niemann replies:
“It was actually the chickens that got us to start eating meat. I wanted to be completely self-sustaining, and so that meant not buying replacement layers from a hatchery. We had to let the mamas hatch their own babies. When you do that, what happens is half of them end up being males. And if half of your chickens are males, they start fighting and hurting or killing each other. It felt like a waste, just throwing that 100% organic meat away. So, my husband and I read a book and taught ourselves how to process chicken. And that’s how we started eating meat.”
From that point on, Niemann began thinking about pigs. She was already raising goats for cheesemaking and had an abundance of leftover whey.
“We gave some of the whey to the chickens, but we still had a lot left over. I started thinking, ‘If we get pigs, we could give them all of the extra whey, and they would love it.’ And so we bought our first feeder pigs in the spring and butchered them in the fall. After doing that for a few years, we started raising and selling our own pigs.”
For the Niemann family, the rest has been history — filled with bacon and sausage.
Research And Decide On The Pig Breed You Want
Before bringing pigs to your hobby farm, it’s important to research and find a breed that fits well on your land and meets your homesteading goals.
A few things to consider are:
- Pigs are social animals. Pan to raise at least two so they're happy and content.
- A small to medium-sized pig will provide plenty of meat for a small family. Make a plan for the other pig (or pigs) well in advance.
- Buy piglets from another homesteader if you aren’t raising your own. This gives you the opportunity to ask questions, experience their living environment, and ensure the health of the pigs.
“Homesteaders raise their pigs outdoors and on grass,” Niemann explains. “They are exposed to better living conditions and good air quality, opposite that of pigs raised in commercial settings. The pigs you purchase from a fellow homesteader tend to be much healthier.”
Small to medium-sized breeds are typically raised by homesteaders, while larger breeds are meant for commercial use. But if you’re looking for more pork faster, Niemann recommends raising a larger breed.
Pig breeds Niemann recommends for hobby farmers include:
1. American Guinea Hog
The American Guinea Hog is a popular pig breed known for its moderate size, black coat and friendly disposition. Their ability to forage makes them great for pasture rotation.
At maturity, hogs yield about 75 to 100 pounds of meat.
“The American Guinea Hog has the personality of a dog,” Niemann chuckles. “They love belly rubs and can be led around with a bucket of grain, making them an easy breed to raise. They’re also great mothers if you’re planning to have and raise your own piglets.”
2. Kunekune Pig
Due to their small size, kunekune pigs are often raised by homesteaders. They are known for their round pot bellies, short legs and short upturned noses. Easy to maintain, the friendly kunekune breed thrives on a pasture rotation.
At maturity, these pigs yield about 80 pounds of meat.
Fun fact: The Polynesian word for ‘plump’ is ‘kunekune’.
3. Idaho Pasture Pig
The Idaho Pasture Pig is another small to medium-sized breed, excellent for most homesteads and hobby farms. Considered a “mutt”, because the breed is a cross between Duroc, Old Berkshire and Kunekune, this pig is gentle-natured, a “true grazing pig”, and usually has a friendly personality.
At maturity, these pigs offer between 150 and 200 pounds of meat.
Have A Plan
Pigs are a big investment in time, money and effort. It’s important to consider a few factors, make some goals and decide on what plans you have for pigs on the homestead.
First, ask yourself what your end goal is — do you want to raise pigs for meat, or would you rather enjoy raising pigs as a hobby?
If your plan is to raise pigs for meat, consider the following:
- The size of your household — this will determine how many pigs you’ll need to feed everyone.
- What type of pork do you enjoy? Lean or fatty pork? Also, consider the lard and how you will use it.
- What type of cuts do you enjoy eating? This is important information to give to your butcher.
Raising and Selling Piglets
Small-scale pig breeding is a great option for bringing additional income to your hobby farm. With careful management, raising and selling piglets produces your own pork and helps meet local livestock demand for homesteaders.
But be aware, pig litters are often quite large. Most families cannot eat 8 to 10 pigs a year, so you’ll need to make a plan to sell them for meat or as young adults months down the road.
“Pigs have lots of babies,” Niemann says. “It’s not unusual for them to have eight or more in one litter. If you plan to raise pigs, you need to plan for marketing your piglets.”
Note: Before you begin a pig breeding program, consult a knowledgeable homesteader or expert because pig breeding and piglet management take some specific know-how.
Choosing a Sow For Breeding
According to Niemann, good temperament is the most important characteristic when choosing a sow for breeding.
“If she rolls over for belly rubs, she’s a winner,” she exclaims.
The number of teats on the sow are also very important. To feed her babies well, she needs to have enough teats for everyone.
“I will give each sow a belly rub and count their teats,” Niemann says. “I want to make sure she has at least twelve teats because every now and then, you’ll get one with less. If they have fewer teats than piglets, the smallest runt isn’t going to make it because they all attach at once.”
Butchering and Selling Pork
Butchering Pigs
According to Niemann, pigs are the most difficult animals to butcher. Their whole body must be lifted and then dipped into hot water for scraping. Because they are a dense species, butchering requires heavy-duty equipment, like the bucket on a backhoe.
“It’s a tricky process,” she explains. “You need to know what your plan is. Will you butcher the pigs yourself? If so, do you have the equipment and knowledge? Or will you send them off to a butcher? If this is your choice, be sure to get on their schedule or waitlist well in advance.”
Selling Pork
Selling pork is another avenue for generating income on the farm.
According to Niemann, there are two basic options for going about it. The first is to process the meat and sell individual cuts or the second is to sell the whole pig to one person as a bulk purchase.
“The American Guinea Hog has a hanging weight of about 100 pounds,” Niemann explains. “It’s much easier to sell than a pig that has a hanging weight of 200 pounds.”
In her experience, Niemann says larger breeds produce more meat, making it difficult to sell a whole pig to one family.
“When we were raising and selling Tamworth pork, we found it difficult to sell. We ended up selling mostly half-hogs. People don’t want 200-250 pounds of pork. 75 to 100 pounds is much easier to sell.”
Rotational Grazing
Rotating pigs to new pastures on a regular basis is a healthy land management practice that benefits your farm. Niemann recommends rotating pigs every day. And, if you have them, rotate pigs after goats.
“One of the nice things about raising multiple species is that the parasites are species-specific,” she explains. “Pigs are aberrant hosts, meaning they can eat goat parasites, and they won’t get infected.”
Rotational grazing schedules depend on how fast the pigs are growing. Small and mid-sized breeds only root when there isn’t enough grass from grazing and foraging.
“You have to keep an eye on them,” Niemann says. “Once you see pigs starting to root, move them.”
As a general rule of thumb, move pigs before the grass is completely dead. This will protect the grass and give your pigs fresh land to forage.
Plan For Proper Housing and Fencing
“I raise goats and have written books about them,” Niemann explains. “I feel like goats have been unfairly picked on in terms of being hard to contain. Pigs are actually much harder to keep fenced in than goats. Yes, goats are smart, but pigs have complete brute force and smarts on their side.”
Because pigs are so intelligent and strong, it’s important to prepare your land with proper housing and fencing to keep them safe and contained. Niemann recommends securing pigs with electric fencing and pig panels.
“You have to have electric fencing. A single strand will keep a pig in because they can’t jump. They touch their nose once to that electric fencing, and they’ll stay put.”
Avoid using welded and woven wire fencing.
Pigs are capable of busting through welded wire and escaping within 24 hours of breaking the welds. With woven wire, they can pick it up with their nose and easily go underneath because it’s stretchy.
“Ask me how I know,” she says jokingly. “We had a fenced area of welded wire where our chickens had been. We figured we would rotate the pigs into that area. The next morning, I come out and they’re in the front yard. They had created a big hole in the wire fencing overnight. We also attempted to contain them with woven wire in our walnut grove. But the pigs had figured out, right away, that they could just hook their nose under the wire, lift it up and just go.”
Housing
Pigs are notorious for rubbing up against and leaning on any structure within their enclosure. Eventually, this natural behavior results in destroyed pig houses, requiring consistent repair work.
“You can’t just nail a bunch of boards together and give them to the pigs,” Niemann says. “You have to at least screw them together. Even then, they figure out how to destroy it.”
In the middle of summer, when it is warm out, pigs don’t necessarily need housing so long as they have access to shaded areas. During colder months, a three-sided shelter is sufficient with plenty of hay or warm compost bedding to keep them warm. Make sure corner posts are far enough down into the dirt, below the frost line, to support the structure from wear and tear.
What To Feed Your Pigs
Although most homesteading breeds are excellent grazers and enjoy munching on pasture grasses, pigs still need to be fed to ensure their nutritional needs are being met.
“It’s really tempting for homesteaders to think they can just put pigs out on pasture and they feed themselves on grass like a cow,” Niemann says. “But this just is not true. If pigs are left to only forage, over time, it will stunt their growth.”
Unlike other farm animals like goats, sheep and cattle, feed stores and companies do not sell pig minerals. To make sure your pigs are getting proper vitamins and minerals, purchase feed specific to pigs.
“You can also feed them kitchen scraps,” she explains. “Vegetable peels, fruit, breads, they love those kinds of treats. I also like to give my pigs spent brew grain from our local beer brewery as a supplement. But never give them any rotten or moldy food.”
In the wintertime, when pigs don’t have access to fresh grass, Niemann recommends feeding them alfalfa hay or alfalfa pellets. If you opt for alfalfa pellets, soak them in water first before giving them to your pigs. Otherwise, they won’t eat them.
What you’ll need to feed your pigs:
- Two troughs. One for holding pig feed, and the other for holding water.
- Plenty of pasture with grass.
- Pig feed. There are three different types of feed available for pigs: conventional grain, non-GMO, and organic feeds.
- Any supplemental foods like kitchen scraps, grains and whey.
How To Manage Pig Cleanliness and Waste
A common misconception about pigs is that no matter what you do, they stink. But according to Niemann, pigs only stink when you have too many in too small of a space.
“This is key,” she says. “If you pack a bunch of pigs into a small area, within a few days, they are going to smell. The reason why commercial pig farms stink is because they’ve got them in buildings, packed in there like sausages. But when you put them on pasture, they’re just like any other animal. They leave their waste behind, and Mother Nature takes care of it.”
Tip: If possible, avoid static pens. Rotate pigs onto new grass every day to reduce the smell and buildup of waste.
Pigs, A Versatile Hobby Farm Option
“Pigs add so much value to a hobby farm,” Niemann says. “As pets or as meat, pigs are a versatile livestock option for any homesteader.”
Pork can be used to make:
- Pork burgers
- Chili
- Breakfast scrambles with ground pork or sausage. Add veggies for flavor and color.
- Breakfast sausage
- Italian sausage
- Roasts
- Pork Chops
- Bacon
- And much more!
To learn more about Deborah Niemann, you can visit her website at https://thriftyhomesteader.com/.
We also covered more about Niemann's story in:
