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Pork

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!!!!

Comments

  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    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
  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    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
  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
    DMW said:
    Let the clock have a couple ticks.  The aforementioned knuckleheads will give you valuable information.
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
  • dmourati
    dmourati Posts: 1,265
    Isn't duroc up there? I think my butcher raises a blend of Berkshire, Duroc, and Ossabaw breeds.
    Mountain View, CA
  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    Berkshire.
    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    dmourati said:
    Isn't duroc up there? I think my butcher raises a blend of Berkshire, Duroc, and Ossabaw breeds.
    Ossabaw is spectacular, but the fellow I met who was raising them said they were really difficult. Very fast runners. Hard to move from pens to pasture. But the little I had from him was the best pork I've ever had. They adapted to feast and famine on Ossabaw island, so they gain fat really fast. He had a grove of black walnuts where the hogs foraged, so their flavor was incredible.


  • ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,794
    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

  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    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 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Foghorn said:

    We are aware of someone in Texas breeding Iberian pigs (pata negra).  We have not pursued that option (yet).

    Ossabaw are direct descendants of pata negra gone wild. From what I know, not quite as fat as Mangalitsa over all, but thicker layers. Might be worth raising just to keep them from going extinct.
  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,310
    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!

  • buzzvol
    buzzvol Posts: 534
    caliking said:no
    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. 
    So hypothetically how many acres would be needed to raise say 20 pigs?  Asking for a friend.
    Lawrenceville, GA
  • jeffwit
    jeffwit Posts: 1,348
    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.”
  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
    This is one time I will not get sucked in. 
  • jeffwit
    jeffwit Posts: 1,348
    This is one time I will not get sucked in. 
    Skeered?
    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.”
  • Sea2Ski
    Sea2Ski Posts: 4,088
    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. :wink:
    --------------------------------------------------
    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. 
  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    edited January 2018
    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".

    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
    jeffwit said:
    This is one time I will not get sucked in. 
    Skeered?
    Nope. Lazy. 
  • thetrim
    thetrim Posts: 11,352
    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
  • milesvdustin
    milesvdustin Posts: 2,882
    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)

  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    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. 
    I'm pretty sure you need an electric fence of some sort. That's what the guys (@20stone, @pigfisher) and gal (@20stonespice) put up for our hogs. 

    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 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Teefus
    Teefus Posts: 1,203
    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.
  • Webass
    Webass Posts: 259
    Just don't let the kids name them! 

    Lenoir City, TN -  Bama fan in Tenn Vol's backyard. 

    LBGE, Weber Spirit 

  • buzzvol said:
    caliking said:no
    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. 
    So hypothetically how many acres would be needed to raise say 20 pigs?  Asking for a friend.
    I don't know about 20 acres.  But the 10 acres I just bought has a large pig pen already built on the property that could hold 4 or 5 pigs easily.  So It got me to thinking about putting some quality pork in the freezer that I know what is in it.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
  • Dave in Florida
    Dave in Florida Posts: 1,157
    edited January 2018
    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. :wink:

    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. 
    Great information...thank you.  No pig farm getting started here.  Just wanting to raise my own chickens, pork and beef, that I know what is in it, for the freezers. Since I now have the property to do it
    .
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!