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Pork
Dave in Florida
Posts: 1,157
I know this is probably like asking which lump is best. But, if you had the property to raise a couple of pigs strictly for the purpose eating. What breeds are best as a meat pig, what breed would you choose to raise?
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Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
Comments
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They/Them
Morgantown, PA
XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer - PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker -
theyolksonyou said:They/Them
Morgantown, PA
XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer - PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker -
Red Wattle
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DMW said:Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
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Isn't duroc up there? I think my butcher raises a blend of Berkshire, Duroc, and Ossabaw breeds.Mountain View, CA
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Berkshire.BrandonQuad Cities
"If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful." -
dmourati said:Isn't duroc up there? I think my butcher raises a blend of Berkshire, Duroc, and Ossabaw breeds.
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GrillSgt said:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!! -
So, as the least knowledgeable guy in our group I'll chime in. If anything I say is inaccurate, hopefully one of the more knowledgeable guys will be along before you make a purchase.
Black Mangalitsa is actually the fattiest of all pig breeds - considered the pig equivalent of Kobe beef. We butchered one in the summer of 2016. It is great for everything except bacon. The best pork chops that many of us have ever eaten came from that pig. The belly was 99% fat - the muscle strip in it was about 1 millimeter thick. That pig couldn't have done a situp to save his life.
We have a couple of Mangalitsa/Swabian Hall mixes. This is a great option. Great meat all around including great bacon.
We are aware of someone in Texas breeding Iberian pigs (pata negra). We have not pursued that option (yet).
We still have 2 more to butcher and have a hard time coordinating our schedules as we all have jobs/families/etc getting in the way.
That's about all I know. Hopefully the others will be along soon with more info.XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle
San Antonio, TX
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I was about to say essentially what @Foghorn already did.
I would add that the fat from our butterballs yields A LOT of lard - leaf for baking, the rest for tamales, vegetables, pancakes, etc. The abundance of fat also results in other sausage ventures (beef, lamb) which we have enjoyed.
@pigfisher should be able to give you some good info too. Whatever you do, don't talk to @20stone. Unless you want to end up with a 20-pig farm and your wife wondering if you still live with her or not.#1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February 2013 • #3 Mini May 2013A happy BGE family in Houston, TX. -
Foghorn said:
We are aware of someone in Texas breeding Iberian pigs (pata negra). We have not pursued that option (yet).
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Great. Now I want to raise f'in hogs~ John - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
XL BGE, LG BGE, KJ Jr, PK Original, Ardore Pizza Oven, King Disc
Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers! -
caliking said:noI was about to say essentially what @Foghorn already did.
I would add that the fat from our butterballs yields A LOT of lard - leaf for baking, the rest for tamales, vegetables, pancakes, etc. The abundance of fat also results in other sausage ventures (beef, lamb) which we have enjoyed.
@pigfisher should be able to give you some good info too. Whatever you do, don't talk to @20stone. Unless you want to end up with a 20-pig farm and your wife wondering if you still live with her or not.Lawrenceville, GA -
Realistically, what kind of space and fencing does one need to raise a couple of hogs? I’ve got 10 acres, but most of it is wooded and none of it is fenced.Jefferson, GA
XL BGE, MM, Things to flip meat over and stuff
Wife, 3 kids, 5 dogs, 4 cats, 12 chickens, 2 goats, 2 pigs.
“Honey, we bought a farm.” -
This is one time I will not get sucked in.
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theyolksonyou said:This is one time I will not get sucked in.Jefferson, GA
XL BGE, MM, Things to flip meat over and stuff
Wife, 3 kids, 5 dogs, 4 cats, 12 chickens, 2 goats, 2 pigs.
“Honey, we bought a farm.” -
A close friend of mine has 5+ wooded acres and rents some more from his neighbor and has a varying number of mangalista pigs of various ages at different times of the year. This picture was taken late spring.
These pigs are wild and pure bred. Mean ba$tards... they eat thorn bushes as a snack. I kid you not. You need a powerful electric fence and you have to “teach” them what it is when they are young. They will demolish an area of undergrowth of any woody growth less than 2” in diameter.
The amount of fat compared to other pigs is significantly higher and thicker. When skinning you do not need to be nearly as careful because you have to get through a lot of fat to hit muscle.
The meat is incredible though if they have a “wild” diet. He tries not to supplement their diet much, except with extra fruits and veggies from the local supermarket that are past prime or the outside leaves of cabbage, corn husks, lettuce etc... I have brought over buckets of acorns as I have a lot of oak trees. Acorns are their candy.
The meat is recognized around the world. On our trip in December, I saw this in a meat shop in Austria:
If you you want to talk to him, I would think he would chat with you for a bit. PM me.
Start raising them and document it like @kl8ton documented his chicken raising this past fall in his egg to egg thread.
Yea, we are enablers here.
You are welcome.--------------------------------------------------
Burning lump in Downingtown, PA or diesel in Cape May, NJ.
....just look for the smoke!
Large and MiniMax
--------------------------------------------------Caliking said: Meat in bung is my favorite. -
Red Wattle would be my #2.
I wouldn't want fat cheap hogs after all of the work.
I can get Berkshire leaf lard for $1/lb.
And I can't tell any difference when using heritage vs non.
Each breed has it's pros, cons.
Ex. Tamworth being historically called the "bacon pig".
BrandonQuad Cities
"If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful." -
jeffwit said:theyolksonyou said:This is one time I will not get sucked in.
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What breed of pigs was in Hannibal?=======================================
XL 6/06, Mini 6/12, L 10/12, Mini #2 12/14 MiniMax 3/16 Large #2 11/20 Legacy from my FIL - RIP
Tampa Bay, FL
EIB 6 Oct 95 -
I have a 22 acre place, have toyed around with turning a few cows and some goats loose.
2 LBGE, Blackstone 36, Jumbo Joe
Egging in Southern Illinois (Marion)
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jeffwit said:Realistically, what kind of space and fencing does one need to raise a couple of hogs? I’ve got 10 acres, but most of it is wooded and none of it is fenced.
As for ease of moving, I don't think that is possible for any breed! There are videos somewhere of 20stone and crew cajoling hogs into barrels to scoot them around. Or trying to get one in a trailer. Then taking the one that runs in instead.#1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February 2013 • #3 Mini May 2013A happy BGE family in Houston, TX. -
When I raised hogs for 4H, we started out with Hampshires and Yorkshires. They were both good eating. The last batch was Durocs. They seemed to be longer and leaner with more pronounced hams. The kids who came from commercial hog farming families mostly raised Durocs.
@jeffwit - You need durable fencing. Hogs are smart critters and can dig as well as a backhoe. We used woven farm fence that had been buried in the ground a foot or so. The base had an oak board all around the inside perimeter, nailed to the posts. Run a hotwire along that about 6" off the ground. They'll test the hotwire and they'll learn fast.
Michiana, South of the border. -
Just don't let the kids name them!
Lenoir City, TN - Bama fan in Tenn Vol's backyard.
LBGE, Weber Spirit
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buzzvol said:caliking said:noI was about to say essentially what @Foghorn already did.
I would add that the fat from our butterballs yields A LOT of lard - leaf for baking, the rest for tamales, vegetables, pancakes, etc. The abundance of fat also results in other sausage ventures (beef, lamb) which we have enjoyed.
@pigfisher should be able to give you some good info too. Whatever you do, don't talk to @20stone. Unless you want to end up with a 20-pig farm and your wife wondering if you still live with her or not.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!! -
Sea2Ski said:A close friend of mine has 5+ wooded acres and rents some more from his neighbor and has a varying number of mangalista pigs of various ages at different times of the year. This picture was taken late spring.
These pigs are wild and pure bred. Mean ba$tards... they eat thorn bushes as a snack. I kid you not. You need a powerful electric fence and you have to “teach” them what it is when they are young. They will demolish an area of undergrowth of any woody growth less than 2” in diameter.
The amount of fat compared to other pigs is significantly higher and thicker. When skinning you do not need to be nearly as careful because you have to get through a lot of fat to hit muscle.
The meat is incredible though if they have a “wild” diet. He tries not to supplement their diet much, except with extra fruits and veggies from the local supermarket that are past prime or the outside leaves of cabbage, corn husks, lettuce etc... I have brought over buckets of acorns as I have a lot of oak trees. Acorns are their candy.
The meat is recognized around the world. On our trip in December, I saw this in a meat shop in Austria:
If you you want to talk to him, I would think he would chat with you for a bit. PM me.
Start raising them and document it like @kl8ton documented his chicken raising this past fall in his egg to egg thread.
Yea, we are enablers here.
You are welcome.caliking said:I was about to say essentially what @Foghorn already did.
I would add that the fat from our butterballs yields A LOT of lard - leaf for baking, the rest for tamales, vegetables, pancakes, etc. The abundance of fat also results in other sausage ventures (beef, lamb) which we have enjoyed.
@pigfisher should be able to give you some good info too. Whatever you do, don't talk to @20stone. Unless you want to end up with a 20-pig farm and your wife wondering if you still live with her or not.
.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
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