Breed Your Own
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Thinking about breeding your own pigs? Let’s talk about it.
Keeping sows & breeding your own pigs is quite the undertaking. Before jumping in you
need to be prepared. Breeding sows require adequate space, shelter, feed & water.
Every day, all year long.
If you live in a northern climate, overwintering a pig can be hard work & it’s best to be
fully set up before acquiring the animal. Large breed sows can get to be 600 pounds &
pigs are smart so your facilities need to be stronger & smarter than your sows. You
need to have a way to get water to the pens even when it’s frozen outside. Your sows
will also need shelter-in a mild climate this can be as simple as just a way for them to
get out of the wind & rain. In colder climates they need to be out of the wind, dry & have
a way to stay warm. A barn or 3 sided shelter works well. You will also need a
clean(ish), dry & warm area for your sow to farrow (give birth).

How & where your sow farrows can be a bit controversial in some circles but ultimately
it is up to you & whatever keeps your sow & piglets safe is the best choice. In
commercial hog facilities pigs live on concrete & farrow in crates. Some small farms
also choose to keep their pigs this way. One advantage to concrete is ease of cleaning;
a concrete pen can be hosed out frequently & kept very clean. Farrowing crates also
have advantages, they can be fully sanitized before farrowing & they provide a higher
level of safety for the piglets & the handler. If the sow needs assistance it can be much
more easily accomplished with a crate.

Farrowing out a sow in a crate does not necessarily translate into discomfort for the
sow. A farrowing crate is a large, paneled in box with “wings” on either side. The sow
can stand up & lay down in the crate, she has full access to food & water & typically a
cushioned surface to lie on. The panels on either side have openings for the piglets to fit
through ensuring them full access to nursing but also giving them a safe place to avoid
possibly getting squashed by the sow when she lies down. Sows are so large & piglets
so tiny that there is a very real danger of them being accidentally crushed. The piglets
also need heat to stay warm & farrowing crates keep the sow from being able to mess
with lamps. Often on smaller farms the sow only stays in the crate a few days to a week
before she & the piglets are moved into a larger pen. Many people are not fans of using
crates, but they do have a place in the pig world when used properly.
“Free farrowing” is simply the process of not confining your sows during farrowing. We
practice non-confinement with our sows & a typical arrangement is a large shed or stall
with “creeps” in the corners for the piglets safety. A creep is a configuration that the
baby animal can access but not the adult. We block off the corners of the shed with
boards high enough to keep the sow out, but the piglets are able to walk under them.
We also put heat lamps in the corner creeps which encourages the piglets to go there
for the warmth when they are not nursing providing them a safe space. Good mama
sows will be very careful not to step on their babies but the babies still need a safe
space to get out of the way. Our sows are also not on concrete but on dirt which is a
more natural way for them to live- they love mud – but obviously harder to keep clean.
Now you have an idea of what type of facilities you need for your sows, let’s talk
breeding options.
The most obvious choice is natural breeding with a boar. This isn’t always a viable
option for the small farm or homestead, you need room to keep a boar, they eat a lot
throughout the year & they can be mean. If a boar isn’t a good option for you AI might
be. AI-ing in pigs is actually fairly straight forward in practice. You can find several
Youtube videos going step by step through the process or reach out to your local
extension service & see if someone near you is willing to teach you. The tricky part in
AI-ing sows in that swine semen doesn’t freeze so you have a very short window of
viability. Typically you monitor your sows heats & when she is in what is called “standing
heat” -literally the sow will stand while you sit on her- you place your order with a swine
genetics company & they overnight the semen. Once delivered you immediately breed
your sow, then breed again 12 hours later & if she’s still in standing heat breed one
more time 12 hours after that. Multiple genetic companies ship semen, 2 of the more
well known companies are Shipley Swine & Shaffers Goldrush.
Sows are pregnant for 3months, 3 weeks & 3 days -how fun is that? They can safely
farrow from 112 to 120 days. Often sows require help farrowing, especially first time
moms. Some people feel that if the sow cannot farrow without help she isn’t worth
breeding. In our experience sometimes it’s something as simple as a slightly larger
piglet or one in an odd position & if you are there to help you can avoid unnecessary
losses. In free farrowing it’s very important that the sow trusts you & will allow to assist.
A mean or stressed out sow can be a danger to the handler, her piglets & herself so
temperament is a huge factor in deciding which sows to breed.
We’ve obviously just touched on the surface of breeding your own piglets in this article.
It’s so important to do your research before you jump into something new. Read books,
watch videos, talk to people – in real life & online- ask questions! The book we started
out with & still consult is an oldie but a goodie: Small Scale Pig Raising by Dirk van
Loon, we’ve used this one so much the cover fell off! We also like the “Storey Guide To”
books, as in Storey’s Guide to Raising Pigs. Doing your research & having a working
relationship with your local vet are 2 of the most important things you can do before
embarking on a new venture on your homestead, especially a breeding program.

Next time we will touch on common medications you should have on hand, problems
you might run into & ways to be prepared. Also costs of keeping sows & does it make
sense on your homestead?
If you missed Part 1 of Hogs On The Homestead, click here: Hogs On The Homestead – HOMESTEAD EDUCATIONAL CHANNEL https://homesteadeducationchannel.com/livestock/hogs-on-the-homestead/
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All photos courtesy of the author