You should try feeding them hay. I had a couple feeder pigs, which I started out on some pig feed, and once they got bigger I fed them primarily hay(which they went nuts over), some whole corn and some kitchen scraps. Those pigs became monsters that could jump a 4' fence! They were very tall, long and BIG.
We have 2 of those pigs and other breads and yes they are definitely slow growing. We've had a bore for almost a year and he was able to mate with a pig 3 times his size (different bread), now we have a mix bread piglets, excited to taste the meat. Thanks for sharing :)
We are experiencing the same thing with our boar being three times smaller than our sow. He is around one and she is about three. I sure love having them. I really enjoy the meat!
That is why I love the CZcams community, everyone has something to share with others. I love the lifestyle! If you have a chance check out our other videos showing how great of a job the AGH did fixing one of our pastures.
Thanks for the video guys, I've raised this breed myself. Instead of grain we fed our pigs hay, winter squash, sugar beets among other things we grew in the garden that would keep through the winter. I agree they are the best homestead pig. Keep the vids coming I just subscribed
@@palomafarmlandscape7859 Did I catch you before the butchering was done? My favorite cut on this breed is a 1" thick bone in chop. Depending on how they are fed, many other cuts can get too fatty real quick, but they also make great hams. Not too big, not too small
how do you get them to actually eat the hay? we bought some nice quality hay with lots of clover, grass, trefoil, vetch, etc. but the pigs won't touch it! I've even soaked it in molasses!!! our pigs are only 6 months old and are used to eating soaked alfalfa pellets, grass, and produce
I'd be interested to know where you got your stock from. There are actually two kinds of AGH. Big boned and small boned. Diet can also dictate size a great deal. I enjoy seeing others that enjoy this wonderful breed. They are so different from feedlot type pigs. I am a registered breeder for the AGH and never plan to not have these hogs on my farm. I hope to come out with a video highlighting the AGH on my channel soon, but for now I will try to help with a couple topics you raised. #1 Boars escaping: one thing I do is keep my boars in a separate area, not adjacent if possible. If you are fencing the boars in the same as shown in the video...that is not secure enough. Zip ties are not enough at the panel junction, and you need to have tposts every 8 feet at least and secured to the panel with metal twine or post clips. A pallet wall is an effective, yet inexpensive, form of barrier for AGH in general. #2 boar meat "tainting": A top reason for meat "taint" is heightened hormonal activity. It is actually possible, though not likely, to have tainting issues with sows in heat if they were to be butchered at that moment. AGH boars can be separated from the females into a separate "finishing" enclosure at least a month before butchering and you should not have issues with flavoring. Another option is to castrate any males you do not intend to breed and they can be in the herd with all the females without issues. I hope these prove to be helpful tips!
We purchased our sows from someone that lived near us that wanted to get rid of them because of health reasons, and the boar we purchased from someone else that just didn't have room for him. When we had the boar we did T posts ever 16 feet using hose clamps. At first we kept him several hundreds yards away from the sows but still didn't work, and he always seemed happier when he was next to the rest of the pigs so we left him near. We just sent 5 to butcher and this will be our first time ever tasting the meat other than the boar. Thank you for your feedback and watching our videos!
I don't separate my boars at all. I don't know about the boars in your herd, but mine are all really tolerant of babies and respectful _enough_ (they bother them a little bit but back off when she snarls at them) of pregnant sows. Most years I just leave everyone together full time, and when the sow weans the babies she goes back into heat, results in about one litter every 7 months or so. If I need more piglets more quickly, it's pretty easy to wean the young earlier and get two liters a year.
@@priestesslucy3299 I have 14 females, so I don't keep the boat in with my main herd. I select if and when I have a pair together. The main reason I mentioned that in my prior post was regarding boar taint issue prior to butchering. Generally, AGH boars can be left with the female if you aren't trying to control pregnancy too tightly 👍
@@boisterouscockfarmstead2217 wow, that's a lot. I guess you're doing more of a breeding stock program than meat production at that scale? Does your boar have a buddy? I got mine first before my first sow and he used to get lonely, break out of his enclosure and come try to get me to play with him.
I think there great pigs we process three a few months ago 11 months old they were all 200 lb one was 5 under one was like 6 over we just picked up more
Thank you for the video! We're looking at raising pigs, trying to figure a heritage breed that will be suitable with our small homestead. We only have 1.25 acres and have sheep and chickens. Hoping that we can choose a pig that'll graze with them as we move them place to place. Your video was very informative. Thank you!
We really enjoy our pigs and they are great ones to start with. After you get the initial headaches dealt with they are very easy to raise. Pet them as often as you can!
I appreciate your comment. Since that video we have changed how we feed them a little. We do give them some non GMO feed in the mornings but not a whole lot. And we rotate them on our pasture more often so they have plenty of different things to eat. American Guinea Hogs will fatten up to much and a common problem is they cannot reproduce because of obesity.
How/where do you market your hogs? I am in Texas so I don't think I would be a competitor to you. I have mostly been posting on local web pages, which has been a little effective but I need to sell more piglets because I have an active bore!
Here in Idaho they do very well. The winters rarely get lower than 0 degrees F. If you give them straw and a place to get out of the wind I bet they would do fine.
The way I do it, is I leave my bore in with them. No break outs, everyone's happy lol. Only time I separate is to bring new blood in. Once every 2 years I outsource breeding.
That is what we have also started doing. We just let all of them be together Boars, piglets, all the mommas, and they all seem to do just fine together. I think we try and over think everything and just cause ourselves problems. Thanks for the advice!
@@palomafarmlandscape7859 I've been raising them for about 8 years, never separated! My main male is a big softy when babies are born. It's amazing to watch him worry over the mom, helping clean babies and the way he fusses over his ladies. For the acts of love I see from these hogs, I'll never go back to big, mean, unruly pigs.
@@bigmomma9371 They are such an amazing animal, and each of them have their own personalty. I have 11 piglets right now with more on the way. I have only been doing it for almost 4 years now and learn more and more every year.
@@palomafarmlandscape7859 Thanks. Going to pick some of those pretty soon along with Katahdin sheep. I finally learned how to dry cure pork. Opened a whole set of new options for me.
so the boars have a gamey taste? good to know the meat was still palatable. seems like everyone's got their own opinions and experiences with eating boar meat. we're raising 4 AGH right now- 2 boars, 2 gilts. with all the conflicting information online about boar taint we're a little nervous about butchering them. crossing our fingers it doesn't all go to the dogs!
Ryane, I have butchered a 3 year old boar and had no tainting issues. I do, however, separate the boar out away from any females at least one month prior to butcher to make sure the hormones aren't elevated. I have never actually butchered a female, so can't say what the difference is, but the boars I have butchered have all been delicious! I think all home grown hogs are gonna have a "gamey" taste if you compare it to the bland meat you find in a grocery store 😉
I keep them about 100 feet from each other at the closest point. The main thing is don't let them see or smell the girls easily. That's what can get them worked up and increase hormones. I've noticed even putting two boars together...it can sometimes take a few weeks for them to stop mounting each other. Always keep at least two together. They will get depressed otherwise. Pigs are social animals. It also helps with them pushing against each other and playing to help build up muscle while being finished for the butcher. I hope to do a dedicated video on AGH soon on my channel. I am in the process of doing a 2 part video of a couple AGH boars I took to the butcher. Hope to have the second part (back from the processor) within the next week. Butchering chickens tomorrow and tiling my backsplash Sunday....so it'll be Monday at the earliest before I can edit that footage 😉👍
You're going to have to say where you are lol. There's no sense shipping living animals long distance, but if you're in the Western Washington area, I just had a litter born
You should try feeding them hay. I had a couple feeder pigs, which I started out on some pig feed, and once they got bigger I fed them primarily hay(which they went nuts over), some whole corn and some kitchen scraps. Those pigs became monsters that could jump a 4' fence! They were very tall, long and BIG.
I do feed them hay with grain everyday and it seems to work great. Thanks for the comment!
We have 2 of those pigs and other breads and yes they are definitely slow growing. We've had a bore for almost a year and he was able to mate with a pig 3 times his size (different bread), now we have a mix bread piglets, excited to taste the meat. Thanks for sharing :)
We are experiencing the same thing with our boar being three times smaller than our sow. He is around one and she is about three. I sure love having them. I really enjoy the meat!
@@palomafarmlandscape7859 Oh interesting, I guess we're not the only ones. I heard the meat is really good. Can't wait to try it 😋
thanks for sharing!! Its nice to get others takes on something before you jump in !!
That is why I love the CZcams community, everyone has something to share with others. I love the lifestyle! If you have a chance check out our other videos showing how great of a job the AGH did fixing one of our pastures.
This was very helpful. Thank you!
Thanks! We think they are great to have around. And they have drastically improved the space of pasture grass we had them in!
Great video guys, was great meeting y'all. Glad we got some breeding stock from you.
It was nice to meet you as well. If you come up with some good ideas let us know!
Thanks for the video guys, I've raised this breed myself. Instead of grain we fed our pigs hay, winter squash, sugar beets among other things we grew in the garden that would keep through the winter. I agree they are the best homestead pig. Keep the vids coming I just subscribed
Thank you for subscribing! We have never butchered any of them but at the end of May 5 are going to the butcher. Do you have any advice on cuts?
@@palomafarmlandscape7859
Did I catch you before the butchering was done? My favorite cut on this breed is a 1" thick bone in chop. Depending on how they are fed, many other cuts can get too fatty real quick, but they also make great hams. Not too big, not too small
how do you get them to actually eat the hay? we bought some nice quality hay with lots of clover, grass, trefoil, vetch, etc. but the pigs won't touch it! I've even soaked it in molasses!!! our pigs are only 6 months old and are used to eating soaked alfalfa pellets, grass, and produce
Great info about agh! Thanks!
Thank you for watching!
I'd be interested to know where you got your stock from. There are actually two kinds of AGH. Big boned and small boned. Diet can also dictate size a great deal. I enjoy seeing others that enjoy this wonderful breed. They are so different from feedlot type pigs. I am a registered breeder for the AGH and never plan to not have these hogs on my farm.
I hope to come out with a video highlighting the AGH on my channel soon, but for now I will try to help with a couple topics you raised.
#1 Boars escaping: one thing I do is keep my boars in a separate area, not adjacent if possible. If you are fencing the boars in the same as shown in the video...that is not secure enough. Zip ties are not enough at the panel junction, and you need to have tposts every 8 feet at least and secured to the panel with metal twine or post clips. A pallet wall is an effective, yet inexpensive, form of barrier for AGH in general.
#2 boar meat "tainting": A top reason for meat "taint" is heightened hormonal activity. It is actually possible, though not likely, to have tainting issues with sows in heat if they were to be butchered at that moment. AGH boars can be separated from the females into a separate "finishing" enclosure at least a month before butchering and you should not have issues with flavoring. Another option is to castrate any males you do not intend to breed and they can be in the herd with all the females without issues.
I hope these prove to be helpful tips!
We purchased our sows from someone that lived near us that wanted to get rid of them because of health reasons, and the boar we purchased from someone else that just didn't have room for him.
When we had the boar we did T posts ever 16 feet using hose clamps. At first we kept him several hundreds yards away from the sows but still didn't work, and he always seemed happier when he was next to the rest of the pigs so we left him near. We just sent 5 to butcher and this will be our first time ever tasting the meat other than the boar. Thank you for your feedback and watching our videos!
@@palomafarmlandscape7859 send me some info @ bobbysloan59@yahoo.com
I don't separate my boars at all.
I don't know about the boars in your herd, but mine are all really tolerant of babies and respectful _enough_ (they bother them a little bit but back off when she snarls at them) of pregnant sows.
Most years I just leave everyone together full time, and when the sow weans the babies she goes back into heat, results in about one litter every 7 months or so. If I need more piglets more quickly, it's pretty easy to wean the young earlier and get two liters a year.
@@priestesslucy3299 I have 14 females, so I don't keep the boat in with my main herd. I select if and when I have a pair together.
The main reason I mentioned that in my prior post was regarding boar taint issue prior to butchering.
Generally, AGH boars can be left with the female if you aren't trying to control pregnancy too tightly 👍
@@boisterouscockfarmstead2217 wow, that's a lot. I guess you're doing more of a breeding stock program than meat production at that scale?
Does your boar have a buddy? I got mine first before my first sow and he used to get lonely, break out of his enclosure and come try to get me to play with him.
Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I think there
great pigs we process three a few months ago 11 months old they were all 200 lb one was 5 under one was like 6 over we just picked up more
Awesome all around. Good video.
Thank you! They really are great to raise.
@@palomafarmlandscape7859 Most Welcome...I'm raising Asian Heritage at the moment.
@@shaneroehrig2977 I have not heard of them but will look them up.
@@palomafarmlandscape7859 Potbelly is another name for them.
@@shaneroehrig2977 Ok, I have heard of those. Had a friend in high school that had one as a house pet. It bit my big toenail off one time!
Thank you for the video! We're looking at raising pigs, trying to figure a heritage breed that will be suitable with our small homestead. We only have 1.25 acres and have sheep and chickens. Hoping that we can choose a pig that'll graze with them as we move them place to place. Your video was very informative. Thank you!
We really enjoy our pigs and they are great ones to start with. After you get the initial headaches dealt with they are very easy to raise. Pet them as often as you can!
Pigs are OMNIVORES...I realize AG pigs are smaller, but those are u undersized because they are lacking the PROTEIN needed to build mass.
I appreciate your comment. Since that video we have changed how we feed them a little. We do give them some non GMO feed in the mornings but not a whole lot. And we rotate them on our pasture more often so they have plenty of different things to eat. American Guinea Hogs will fatten up to much and a common problem is they cannot reproduce because of obesity.
How/where do you market your hogs? I am in Texas so I don't think I would be a competitor to you. I have mostly been posting on local web pages, which has been a little effective but I need to sell more piglets because I have an active bore!
I usually list them on Craigslist. But a lot of them are sold to repeat customers. Thanks for watching!
Where is this farm? I need to buy pigs. I didnt see an address on your home page.
We live in southwest Idaho. Are you in the area?
Thank you, no. I am far east in ky. I can get pigs here. I have to fence first.
Would they do well in northern Maine
Here in Idaho they do very well. The winters rarely get lower than 0 degrees F. If you give them straw and a place to get out of the wind I bet they would do fine.
The way I do it, is I leave my bore in with them. No break outs, everyone's happy lol. Only time I separate is to bring new blood in. Once every 2 years I outsource breeding.
That is what we have also started doing. We just let all of them be together Boars, piglets, all the mommas, and they all seem to do just fine together. I think we try and over think everything and just cause ourselves problems. Thanks for the advice!
@@palomafarmlandscape7859 I've been raising them for about 8 years, never separated! My main male is a big softy when babies are born. It's amazing to watch him worry over the mom, helping clean babies and the way he fusses over his ladies. For the acts of love I see from these hogs, I'll never go back to big, mean, unruly pigs.
@@bigmomma9371 They are such an amazing animal, and each of them have their own personalty. I have 11 piglets right now with more on the way. I have only been doing it for almost 4 years now and learn more and more every year.
How big are the litters?
Just about every time they have 8 piglets.
@@palomafarmlandscape7859 Thanks. Going to pick some of those pretty soon along with Katahdin sheep. I finally learned how to dry cure pork. Opened a whole set of new options for me.
@@richardhawkins2248 Nice, the more skills you know the more opportunities you have. On to some new adventures!
so the boars have a gamey taste? good to know the meat was still palatable. seems like everyone's got their own opinions and experiences with eating boar meat. we're raising 4 AGH right now- 2 boars, 2 gilts. with all the conflicting information online about boar taint we're a little nervous about butchering them. crossing our fingers it doesn't all go to the dogs!
Ryane,
I have butchered a 3 year old boar and had no tainting issues. I do, however, separate the boar out away from any females at least one month prior to butcher to make sure the hormones aren't elevated. I have never actually butchered a female, so can't say what the difference is, but the boars I have butchered have all been delicious! I think all home grown hogs are gonna have a "gamey" taste if you compare it to the bland meat you find in a grocery store 😉
@@boisterouscockfarmstead2217 thanks for your response- super helpful! about how far away do you separate them?
I keep them about 100 feet from each other at the closest point. The main thing is don't let them see or smell the girls easily. That's what can get them worked up and increase hormones. I've noticed even putting two boars together...it can sometimes take a few weeks for them to stop mounting each other. Always keep at least two together. They will get depressed otherwise. Pigs are social animals. It also helps with them pushing against each other and playing to help build up muscle while being finished for the butcher. I hope to do a dedicated video on AGH soon on my channel. I am in the process of doing a 2 part video of a couple AGH boars I took to the butcher. Hope to have the second part (back from the processor) within the next week. Butchering chickens tomorrow and tiling my backsplash Sunday....so it'll be Monday at the earliest before I can edit that footage 😉👍
@@boisterouscockfarmstead2217 I am so looking forward to that video! keep up the good work. blessings to you and yours!
Our boar was a bit gamey but not so bad you couldn't eat it. But not near as good as the ones we just had butchered a few weeks ago. They are amazing!
Potbelly ?
no they are not a pot belly. A heritage breed of pig.
75 a piece I'll take 4
Can you send me some info email address or something very interseted
You're going to have to say where you are lol.
There's no sense shipping living animals long distance, but if you're in the Western Washington area, I just had a litter born