And The Pig Said WUHG!

The pig adventure was quite a learning experience. The pig operation as I stated before was no different than any of our adventures, find a hole and jump in. Raising animals was never a passion, an interest yes, but the main interest was sustainability. Living off the land is part of the Davis lineage, from the outlaw swamp wildlife to dirt farming we embrace the pick and save experience. Our adventure had a couple new members that directed our agribusiness concept, Butch and Hazel Taft fresh out of TN Tech College of Agriculture and Human Ecology and AG teachers at the local high school. Butch from Taft, Tennessee had a degree in Animal Husbandry. Hazel Taft from Marion, Ohio had degree was in Ornamental Horticulture. Dad was out trading one day and ran in Johnnie Raulerson, an ole truck vegetable farmer in town. Johnnie wanted his truck painted but even though the truck was a perfect 65 Ford long wheelbase the cost was more than he wanted to pay. Dad was talked into a trade that included a Duroc boar, a Duroc sow, 2- White Chester guilts and we were in the pig game. So, we decided to raise pure and cross bred pigs to supplement the income and get my mind off racing. Like every adventure with my dad, he went neck deep. The goal was to research the most productive swine operation in Baker County.

After getting the infrastructure in place, water, electricity, buildings the one-on-one adventure started with the animals. Pigs hate electric wire; I hate it even more than the pigs. The electric wire system uses 4 joules pulsing box that covers over 75 miles of 17 gage wire. Pigs are highly intelligent animals with developed social behavior. Pigs are mainly omnivores, plant-based animals. They eat invertebrate animals such as worms, reptiles, insects, etc. The short-haired animal has an acute sense of smell and known for their digging skills. Almost nothing will stop a hog from creating a hole unless it involves an electric shock, of course. Hogs naturally inhabit a large brain and are known to be one of the most intelligent domesticated animals. Once they have been trained, a hog will remember any unpleasant experience and acquire new habits with ease. We affectionally named our boar Fonzie, he was gentle as a puppy. As we moved him into his new home, he decided to back down the lane into the loading ramp, and touched his oversized package on the electric wire, all he could say was “WUHG” as he shook his legs dancing down the lane!

Heritage breed pork producers use a few different domiciles to raise hogs. At the Farm we used a pen system. After drawing the furrowing barn dad designed an innovative pen system that utilized a direction of flow from pens to farrowing barn, back to the breeder animal pens. The system included a 20 ft x 20 ft furrowing barn, 10 breed sow and boar pens 10 ft x 10ft, 4 ft aisleway and 2 feeder pig pens 10ft x 40ft. Each area included demand feeders and waterers. Total area was 24ft x 120 ft. There are several business models for pig/hogs, most common is the producer, you have to choose the route you go based on size, feeder stock 40-60lbs, growers 60 -150lbs, finishers 150lbs- 220lbs. We were running pigs 7 weeks/ 49 days/ 70 lb. average. The market is fickle, buyers are product motivated, breed or cross breeds that average 1.7 to 2.0 lbs. growth per day are a premium. The product is also married to the quality of the grower feed, it takes about 150 lbs. of .15 cent per pound feed to feed out a 70 lb. pig, in 1974 that was an investment of $22.50 or .32 cents per pound. 220 lb. number one cost was $60 or .27 cent per pound. Market prices were random, we had two large growers in our area, Sunny Land and Wayne Davis/ Winn Dixie slaughtering 100 no.1’s daily. Buyers for probably 20 growers showed each month. I was running 20 to 30, 50 to 70 lb. pigs every 60 days.

From 1974 to fall of 1975 the market held steady averaging about .70 cent per pound, lowest .60 cents, highest $1.07 per pound. In early 1976 the market tanked I went to the market and a buyer from Sunny Land told me the highest price in Gainesville on the day before was .32 cents. I loaded my 12 pigs and headed home. I chased a lead that a local butcher was prepping party pigs for cookouts, 100-120lbs, he was splitting down the middle for folks to cook on open fires Redneck Style. The Butcher was running out of growers with 100 lb. pigs, I had 20 and in the next two weeks I sold 18 @ $100 per. On one of the trips a dude that lived two farms down came in the lane, he explained he had a 5% farm home loan and wanted to purchase my breeders. I was missing racing, working the wrecker like crazy, the feeder market had tanked, and I wasn’t ready to chase the feed bill to go in the finisher level especially only clearing about $500 per month on this project, I made that painting cars at the shop attending high school full time. I told him I would sell him the 6 sows, 4 were bred, the boar, 2 guilts, and all the equipment, feeders, waterers, for $2000, he wanted the furrowing barn, I told him make me an offer and he had to move it, at the end of the day Farm Home Administration cut us a check for $3000. As quick as I was in, I was out.  

Note: As we got into the pig business, we quickly realized the feed was the key. We were married to the local Cash Store, to buy our feed, one size fits all. Butch Taft was helping with our first litter I fed the sow, and he said grab that feed bag let me see it. It was 7% protein he said old Louise would have to eat 10x what I was giving her just to sustain her, she was a big sow almost 300lbs. only 8 pigs. I was happy, he was disappointed. He had a notebook from Tennessee Tech that talked about pushing swine during gestation up to birth. As I chased some Purina feeds, I ran into a friend whose sister was selling F-R-M feeds from Flint River Mills, Georgia. Taft, being an ag teacher, got a notice from University of Florida that they were hosting an Animal Feed Nutrition and Production for Swine, the sponsor was F-R-M. I called my local dealer, and I was in for the 2-day class. It was eye awakening; I never had been exposed to animal diets, the market aspect of the pig operation brought out the competition side of me, my animals moved into a different level. Our second litter was Joyce’s, 12 piglets, I realized that the boar and sow nutrition filled the nursery, we had pigs on medicated pig starter feed in five days, weaned in four weeks, on pig popper at 6 weeks, average weight at 7 weeks 60-70 pounds and active as wild Indians. This gave me a greater understanding of contained animals versus free range/ grass/ farmed products fed. This also played out in our broiler operation years later.

---

*From F-R-M Feeds website 07/23/2023 https://www.frmfeeds.com/products/swine/ :

More pounds per pig means more profits for producers!

F-R-M Premium Swine Rations contain all the nutrients needed for pigs to achieve their maximum potential.
When fed the complex diets of F-R-M Swine Rations, pigs perform better in weight gains and feed efficiencies.

Put on the pounds and add to the profits with F-R-M Complete Swine Feeds and Supplements!

Introduction

As an experienced hog farmer, you are probably aware of just how important a good feeding program is to your production.  Pigs that receive proper nutrition and adequate disease protection stay healthy, withstand stress, and gain extra pounds.  Maximum weight gain can be achieved, and those extra pounds mean money in your pocket later.

But you also know that getting top production doesn’t come cheap.  Feed costs can add up to 77% of your total production outlay.  Naturally, good conversion and disease protection have become more important than ever.  And in the critical first weeks of growth, it is essential that your pigs be kept disease-free and nutritionally sound.

The Critical Period from Birth to 50 Pounds

Because pigs are born with almost no natural immunities, they are especially vulnerable to disease.  For a while, the sow can provide protective antibodies through her milk.  But the baby pig’s ability to absorb these antibodies rapidly declines and is almost entirely lost 12 hours after birth.

Nor can the sow be expected to provide all the nutrients her litter needs.  At the end of three weeks, her milk supply begins to fall off sharply.  By this time, the baby pigs should already be accustomed to a supplementary feed that is high in protein and protective medication.

Farrowing, Lactation and Baby Pig Care

• GUIDELINES
  Move sows to the farrowing barn 3 to 7 days before farrowing.
• Wash and treat sows for external parasites prior to moving them into the farrowing crate.
• Avoid mixing groups of sows before farrowing.
• If possible, be present at farrowing.
• When possible, the size of litter should be adjusted to the number of functioning teats or the nursing ability of the sow.
• At birth, wipe pigs dry, dock tails, clip needle teeth and disinfect naval cord with iodine spray.
• Encourage pigs to nurse as soon as possible.
• Pigs should be injected with iron at 2 to 5 days of age.
• Castration of pigs should be done as early as possible to reduce stress.
• The age at which litter and sows may be run together will usually be two weeks, although small groups may be put together as early as one week.
• Keep pigs warm, dry, and FREE FROM EXPOSURE TO DRAFTS.
• Start providing F-R-M Baby Pig Starter at 7 days of age.

Starting Pigs

The period after weaning is an extremely critical period which will greatly influence the overall performance and profit of the market hog.  Everything must be done to minimize the post-weaning slump.

• GUIDELINES
  Wean pigs from the sows, do not re-group or move the pigs for a few days.
• Do not change feed at the same time as weaning.  Wait at least one week.
• Treat external parasites at 6 to 8 weeks of age.
• Do not let the feeders get empty.

F-R-M Baby Pig Starter Medicated

To ensure continued high nutrition and disease protection, feed baby pigs continuously as soon as they start consuming feed and continue until 5 weeks of age.  This highly palatable feed is rich in protein (18%) and contains Chlortetracycline, Sulfamethazine, and Penicillin from Procaine Penicillin.  As an aid in the reduction of the incidence of cervical abscesses; treatment of bacterial swine enteritis (salmonellosis or necrotic enteritis caused by Salmonella choleraesuis and vibrionic dysentery); prevention of these diseases during times of stress; maintenance of weight gains in the presence of atrophic rhinitis; growth promotion and increased feed efficiency in swine weighing up to 44 pounds.

F-R-M Pig Popper Pellets

After 5 weeks of age, pigs should be switched to F-R-M’s 16% high energy growing feed, Pig Popper Pellets.  Pig Popper contains 100 gms/ton of Chlortetracycline to increase rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency.  Reduce the incidence of cervical lymphadenitis (jowl abscesses) caused by group Escherichia streptococci susceptible to Chlortetracycline.

F-R-M’s Feed Benefits to You

With F-R-M’s high energy, medicated pig feeds, you can expect an increase in weight gain up to 31%, and an improvement in feed efficiency up to 12%.  Based on these results, pigs put on this program for 9 weeks would gain an extra 13 pounds each.  In eight trials with more than 500 feeder pigs fed on this program, the test group gained 11 pounds more per head on 17% less feed per pound of gain than did the control group.

To produce the results you want, F-R-M Baby Pig Starters must be used correctly.  Follow directions carefully and remember these important points:
1.  Baby Pigs may not reach much at first.  Limit amounts and always keep feed fresh.  Always remove unused amounts each day.  Store and use this later when pigs are eating more.

2.  Don’t leave bags sitting open.  Feed will become stale and pick up hog house odors.

3.  If possible, place the creep area near a heat lamp.  The feed will give off an aroma and draw pigs.

4.  Keep fresh water near the creep.  This will encourage feeding.

5.  Don’t change the food at weaning.  Wait at least one week to reduce stress.