American Guinea Hog forage and such

My neighbor and I committed an American Guinea Hog breeding pair impulse buy (Silly women!), but we are quite proud of ourselves for bringing home the bacon (in the back of her Volvo).  They only pooped and vomited once each on the way home.  And they escaped within the first 20 seconds of them arriving to their new home.  Try to beat that, you rookies!

Their main forage is grass and clover, clover having a higher percentage of protein. Unfortunately, we have more grass than clover but this will shift gradually as we re-seed disturbed areas with different forage plant species.
Today, for the first time, I witnessed the pair eating dandelion...leaves, buds and roots as well as raw potatoes cuttings from the compost pile
Over the last month they've munched and crunched happily, Ranunculus, (creeping buttercup)...pulling and eating the entire plant.
Gilt was grazing chickweed yesterday.  She seems to go for the dandelion more than the boar does.
He was crunching a pine twig one day, odd since he had just been moved to fresh green pasture...nature's medicine cabinet?

They love rooting in the fluffy debris beneath the conifers, easy rooting.  They are eating something in there but since they don't lift their heads I haven't been able to get look at what it is that they are finding.

Hazelnuts...will eat them for hours
Go wild over raw egg
Apples are to die for.
Cooked Jerusalem artichokes...yum, yum, yum!
Cooked parsnips, that too.
  *Cooking the root crops seem fine to me since we can put the pot of water over the wood stove,
    which heats our winter living space anyway.
Dead animals, like wild birds, gophers and left-over chicken from successful predator attacks
Not especially interested in raw kale
Earthworms

They are the bosses of the other livestock, holding their own quite well. 


All it takes is a little shake of the grain can and they come running. 
They settle in each night to their little nest like two little sausages, side by side.  I adore them!

Ok, so these hogs have lived here for about five months now, are well bonded with each other and gaining in size and weight.  They let us know when it's time to rotate them to another pasture by 'escaping' their enclosure.  It's not currently electrified due to the amount of maintenance it takes to keep the lush vegetative growth off of the netting.  I'm buried in my work as it is and don't really want to shock the critters in the first place.  If they need new ground, they'll let us know.  The boar is the one that lifts the net with his snout and passes to the other side to eat as he pleases.  The cutest part is that he doesn't go back the way he came.  Instead he opts get back through the barn and lays down in the dark corridor right next to the door and waits for someone to let him back in with his lady friend, at which point they nestle down together, nose to nose, in their bed of straw. 

I'd rather not admit it but, the other day killing them or at least selling, crossed my mind.  Unfortunately,  a bit of land they access has a very high water table, meaning it is very wet...especially with all the rain we've received lately.   And that means EASY rooting.   It's hard to watch land be subjected to such disturbance (rooting).  One needs to realign one's thinking in such cases.  Perhaps we need to make a permanent wallow there or a shallow pond and accept the change.  Perhaps they need to be moved daily in that area and the disturbed ground sowed immediately with clover or some other such forage.  Or they ought not be allowed to access it until the ground dries later in the year.  They remain easy to coax and lure with a shake grain in a can.

In an area just off of their shelter stood a decent collection of horse manure 2 years old, not entirely decomposed but well on its way.  Our furry friends rooted all through it, turning it, leveling it, exposing worms for the chickens and making a decent bed into which was transplanted leeks and celery as well as a sowing of kale and sunflowers.  We have growth!

fine looking hogs. ive done a little research on this breed.  i see they are quite rare.  and rather expensive .  at one time i recommended these to my cousin. he raises pot bellys and sells them for meat or pet.  he has yet to butch them himself.  but i understand the guinea hogs are a better meat source and quicker grower than the PBP.  perhaps when i have a better establishment set up and the prices drop some, id like to try one of the guineas.

fine looking photo.  thanks for posting.

It's interesting what happens to 'rare' breeds once they recieve such designation.  This single breed of pig was once the most prolific breed in the South, now it's endangered.  Being on the critical list by the ALBC has prompted many folks to cash-in on it's rarity, rather than truly market it for breeding and successive preservation.  It's almost unfathomable to think that while 'other' piglets can be had for $40-50/ea. this pig in need of preservation starts @ an average of $150 and can be seen for as much as $400...sigh.  Off soapbox.

A very lovely breed, would love to have some...along with maybe some Ossabaws.

Paul B.

So cute, now I want one   Don't worry, Paul, I think that high price tag is more of a incentive to breed than a wish for conservation to a lot of folks.  Just look how many mini horses, mini goats and llamas are out there.  Maybe in a few years these pigs will be just as ubiquitous.

We got our piggies in June of this year Luna and Sunny.  Luna is a jumper so am teaching her to sit and wait.  Sunny is just a lap pig wanna be.  Not good for when he is full grown with tusks!  We have been so impressed in Sept we go our 3rd pig Bella.  We go the 3rd because we have a waiting list for pork and pigs.  Since we can eat suckling pigs I am not to worried about having to much meat.  The pigs are just wonderful.  They come when called by name and instantly drop to the ground and roll over when I say "who's a good pig"  they just love their belly rubbed.  They get several every day.  While we are rubbing we open their mouth looking and touching so we know what "normal" is play with their ears and tail hoofs.  We just have hands all over.  We want then so use to us that if we have to provide medical care and 250 + lbs it will be much easier.   

They are getting to the size now that we will have to fence the entire back yard so they can not get in.  Now they have free range to go where they want.  Sometimes they want the fridge in the kitchen!  We have learned to shut the sliding glass door on the deck if we don't want a house full of pigs.  One day while taking a nap I heard rustling at the foot of the bed thought it was the dog.  When I rolled over to see I found the dogs already on the bed.  As I looked down it was Luna trying to jump up on the bed.  The other two had found a nice napping place on the dog beds.  Good grief.  Apparently the garden gate was not latched all the way and the dogs had opened it.  I had left the front door open so when the dogs came in the pigs followed.  The garden? uhmm well most was untouched but the cucumbers basically  gone.  Both the pigs and the dogs love cucumbers. 

The pigs just go to town rooting all over the place.  If I put some grain or treats in an area they will till it up in no time.  Now I don't have to.  I don't ever just confine them in a small space.  Just feed them treats and that is enough to get them going.  They will come back to that same spot over and over.  It's great!   

So far we have not had any problems with them going through the fencing we do have.  I really don't want to use a hot wire because of the other animals.  But if we need to we will.  After a zap or maybe 2 they will learn what that colored wire means and then wont have to be hot all the time. 

There are more of these pigs out there.  Many people are not registering them.  I have chosen to register mine because it may come in handy some day.  I have a huge learning curve ahead and it is somewhat difficult to find good info on this breed.  But what I have found is that they are a good lard pig with good meat good temperament easy to butcher due to size and do quite well on forage alone.  You need to make sure that they don't get to fat because that can make breeding harder.  I have seen cooking shows and high end restaurants using this meat.  Chefs sing high praises. 

I live in WA state so if any one wants to contact me so we can share info on these wonderful pigs that would be great.   We will keep the best of the best for breeding the rest go to the freezer or bbq.  In my area it is proving to be difficult to find a vet that will do house calls so leash training may be in order Yuck.  I will have to learn a lot about that too as well as pasture management birthing husbandry confirmation slaughter cooking smoking and what to do with all that lard.  Maybe someday will have a book piggies from birth to table.  For now we are just feeling our way.  On of the pigs think it was Luna caught a mole! So very proud of her.  They have also done a good job digging up all the moss we have in the grass.  And yes they do love clover apples carrots sweetpotatoes bananas well ok the only thing they really don't like to much is green beans or zucchini  when its small.  They love the huge ones with the seeds and tough skin.  What can I say I am hooked on these guys.

What to do with all that lard???  Sell it to soap makers.  I would love to find a source of organic/natural lard!  I make soap, but use Wally World Lard and constantly worry about what's in it.

good to know thank you

So does any one have American Guinea hogs? I am looking for someone to network with, to share info and such. Or maybe suggest a good book or web site?I have been having a hard time finding good info. Seems everything I come across is the same old copied info. I live in SW Washington seems that there are even fewer of these guys out here. It would be great so really bring the numbers up so more people can see how great these pigs are. Feel free to PM me if you want Thanks

Hi American Guinea Hog folks...my husband and I are brand new to this venture, we are getting our first hogs ever next week, breeders and a 1 babe, and we are very excited. It's nice to see that there are ongoing discussions about these AWESOME hogs! We are going to be pasture rotation raising and are wondering if any of you know how quickly a sow, boar, and baby will eat up a 20x20 patch of pasture...we are hoping to move them every few days. Basically we are having trouble finding any numbers of acres of forage/time it takes the hogs to eat it all up! We have read that Guinea hogs don't need much grain supplementation, and that hay/alfalffa, with a small amount of grain and adequate pasture will do. I'd love some feedback. Thanks so much!

Thanks for all the information. I too am considering a breeding pair of American Guinea Hogs and was wondering about some of the details. I have some experience with pigs but not this breed. I am attracted to them for several reasons, mostly their claimed foraging capabilities and size, but I was also wondering, all things considered, what a fair price might be for a breeding pair. Everything I've had quoted so far is over $500. Does that seem accurate?

Another question for all of you guinea hog folks....We are currently in wait for our pastures to grow with an organic herbal ley mix that we have purchased and have NO idea how much grain/alfalfa/scraps we should be feeding in the meantime. We have read that you do not want to overfeed these guys but would hate to been underfeeding as well. We've been doing about 2 lbs grain + alfalfa + scraps per hog...does this sound about right???...really wish that we could've timed it better and had our pastures all ready for foraging, but it didn't work out that way. Anyway we would love some feedback and suggestions. Thanks so much!!!

My guys have free access to hay 24 /7 they only eat what and when they want. When they are done with that they go outside and eat or nap or just run and play. I just give 1-2 cups for each pig once a day unless it is extra cold out then will give them a tad bit more. They will let me know when they really want or need more. Of course they do have a ongoing munchie habit but when they are really hungry act different. They also get at least 1 -2 carrots or sweet potato or squash a day. Apple if I have them or some nuts. I also give them the chicken gibblets and if a bird gets into the green house the dog will catch the bird then take it to Sunny for him to eat.

Hi, I'm new to this forum, I'm in mid-Willamette Valley, Oregon and I and my neighbor have AGH. The only complaints I have raising AGH are that the babies are small enough to scoot through cattle panels, and that the bellies are thinner than "big pink pigs." I end up brining skinned bellies, then rolling and tying before putting the bacon into the smoker. It comes out round, and I just cut out circles to fry. The cheeks make good bacon, too.

I have pure AGH and AGH/PBP crosses. I've had remarkable response to selling weaners this fall, though. I still have 2 pigs yet to farrow, but all the other piglets are already sold. And yes, we do eat them, we butcher entirely ourselves, and they're excellent meat.

Hmm, I can't seem to get back to see people's responses, so I don't know the name, but the person who wanted lard for soap making? If you're still interested, let me know, as I have a couple sacks in the freezer.

Kit.S

danelle grower wrote:My guys have free access to hay 24 /7 they only eat what and when they want. When they are done with that they go outside and eat or nap or just run and play. I just give 1-2 cups for each pig once a day unless it is extra cold out then will give them a tad bit more. They will let me know when they really want or need more. Of course they do have a ongoing munchie habit but when they are really hungry act different. They also get at least 1 -2 carrots or sweet potato or squash a day. Apple if I have them or some nuts. I also give them the chicken gibblets and if a bird gets into the green house the dog will catch the bird then take it to Sunny for him to eat.

I am in Shelton and interested in raising AGH. Can you suggest anyone in the area that sells soild foundation hogs?
Peace,
Jon

We raise AGH here in Wisconsin, they do awesome on rotational grazing. I'm a small person so it's nice to have such a manageable breed--used to work with Berkshires, and those can great pretty huge. I keep hearing from people that it's harder to breed them when they're obese, but I haven't had a problem with that, actually we just had an obese sow farrow last week very successfully. We do have them fenced with electric, because otherwise there's no way to keep the rotational grazing to a schedule where the crops can grow. But the electric works really well--actually we have to coax them to cross the old boundaries with snacks before they'll believe us! The meat is delicious, they're easy to butcher, and you really don't have to feed them much because they forage so well. The lard is really top-notch too, and if you can't find enough soap-maker to buy it, try local bakeries, because it really is high quality. They're also just kind tempered animals. The only bad thing we've had happen is that one of the boars is a chicken killer and we haven't figured out what to do about that. Otherwise we're really happy with these guys.

To the person whose piglets are getting out through the panels, we lean pallets up in our maternity ward to keep this from happening, it works well.

We feed more than danielle grower does--might just be a colder climate, I'm not sure, but we feed the lactating sows about 2 scoops of corn/soy/alfalfa daily, plus free eating on a bale, plus tons of produce scraps. Everybody else gets about 1 scoop of mix and the goodies. You do have to be careful not to overfeed them because once they farrow they can really lose weight in a bad way, you want them heavy when you breed them for their own health when nursing.

We've got a bunch of feeders, gilts, a boar, and maybe a sow we'd like to sell or trade, if anyone's interested in trying them out. Our girls did really good this summer with litter size and now we're like...holy pigs!

Have you ever shipped pigs? I am in Shelton, Wa?

As interesting as that is to picture, I don't think I could do that to them unless they were already butchered! But look on guineahog.org it's the american guinea hog rare breed whatever site, you can post a want ad for your area and they have a breeders database. Good luck!

Wow can't believe it's been so long since I have been on permies. So much going on and no email alerts so sorry I didn't answer you Jon Corcoran. I sure hop that you have found your AGH by now. Feel bad that I was not much help. So for an update on the AGH adventure.

Still love the pigs. Have only had a tid bit of meat so far that is due to change as we will be picking up our first meat from the butcher today. What I did taste was fantastic. Hubby really loved it that's why I only got a tid bit. LOL

We have had 4 litters so far. Made it through the first litter nerves shattered. Bella knew what she was doing and did fine. Was a great mom. Luna had 8 her first time. We lost 3 out of the first two litters leaving 9 to grow happy and healthy. Second litter Bella only had two. Bothe died. Which we expected would happen due to her being so sick. Oh well things happen. Luna's second litter turned out 7 healthy piglets. Two of them have the rare Red gene. It also looks like we may have 1-2 blue. We are waiting to see if they hold the colors to adulthood. Oh that would be great. It may be possible that we have several guilts pregnant as well. This is what happens when you don't separate soon enough. Time will tell on that as well. In a few months we could have pigglets out the wazoo!

We have learned so much. It is true they are still pigs so you can get some info easily. However AGH breed info specific is still hard. So most of what we do is dictated by the animals. They are good at letting us know what they want and need. As long as we listen. Spending lots of time with them daily has been like being in a class room. They are excellent teachers.

We still feed just a few cups of albreed a day more or less depending on their confirmation weather pasture condition and needs if they are pregnant or lactating. Since they have gotten bigger they no longer have free range hay and alfalfa. But do get a flake or so a day again that depends on what else is going on. Seems they are not ok just on pasture alone. Yes they are great foragers However to think you can put them out to forage without other input is misleading. So much depends on the quality of your pasture the age and condition of the animal how much pasture you have the types of forage you have growing and so forth. I mention this because over and over I am seeing people say they can just forage. So people are getting the idea that they can just pasture these pigs without any other input. That is not 100% true 100% of the time. That I think is the biggest lesson.

Second lesson. Humm now to upset a bunch of people oh well don't really care. I have also come to the conclusion that buying registered or papered pigs is just a lazy attempt at marketing with good intentions? I say that because the entire AGHA is all on an honor system. It is not mandated that you have DNA testing to PROVE who the parents are. So all is left up to the breeder to be honest and to have 100% control over their breeding stock. And any one who breeds animals knows sometimes although rare accidents happen. I am of the mind set that papers should help in guaranteeing certain thing as much as possible any way. Or at the very least prove good intentions. Most people are honest and care about breed preservation however all the honesty does not measure up to DNA testing. Papers do not indicate better tasting meat nor a "better" pig in and of it's self. At this point any way. It is much more important to know what you want to do. Finish a pig is totally different and speaks for it's self? If you might want to know how many in that line are taint free. Not that any one can guarantee that 100% there are lots of factors that come into play. Still good to get info on that.

If you want a pair so that you can breed for your own meat you will want to know how many piglets are had by mom or other in the line at each farrowing. Some prefer large litters some prefer smaller litters. You will want to know about inverted nipples and birthing problems. Dose the animal have good strong legs? What happens if the pair you get can't reproduce will the breeder stand by you or are you just SOL? Look at the pastures and the set up what kind of forage are they use to eating? Do you want the longer leaner body type with longer legs which seems to give you a bit less lard. Do you want the shorter snout and legs with the rounder body? That can give you a bit more lard? These are much more important questions to ask than just looking for a papered pig. You might even want to see or know when and how the animals have been wormed if at all. When you get your animals home I highly recommend NOT putting them out on pastures asap. Put them in QUARANTINE FIRST!! You might want to worm them as soon as you get them. In any case you will be able to prevent or slow down the chance of brining some kind of contamination on to your land. It's always a good practice to quarantine any new member to your farm. Does the person you buy from offer a contract? This is not common practice currently. In any case EVERYONE who breeds should make good decisions on breeding practices. If not what will happen is these animals will be lost FOREVER.

As far as the price goes the price is anywhere from $75 up to $350 from what I have seen. Again that depends on what you are buying for. If I have a good quality pig that I have taken years and years to build a proven line you can bet I will charge much much much more than $75. Possibly more than $350. There is a lot of time money and research that goes into these animals. If I deal with a boar and AI so that I can pass certain traits on to others that don't want to raise a boar. Dang straight I will charge more. My time and work is worth something, Not to mention the feed vet bills grooming and …. Still when you look at what you are getting a great meat pig that is much easier to raise than a standard large pig. The freedom to never have to depend on the store or someone else for your pork well that kind of speaks for itself. Now a pig that I just don't want in my breeding program I will either cull or sell as a finisher.

So before you run out and get one of these pigs you want to make sure that they fit YOUR NEEDS & WANTS. If you are looking for a high meat production and fast growth these are NOT the pigs for you. Some love the temperament & look so much they are cross breeding to get bigger and faster growth. So there is becoming more and more crosses out there. That can be a good thing and a bad thing depending on your view point. Personally I am not so sure the numbers are up enough to ensure the protection of the breed in it's purest form what ever that is. But then if no one wants it for the table then whats the point? Bottom line is you have to know what you want. Don't be swayed by the fact that they are "critically endangered" At this point I am not sure of the status or the criterial for the status. I say that because on the albc last I looked there was some 200 or so? But in the register AGHA there are over 1000 registered? Could be off a bit on my numbers. Still even if there are only 3000 pure breed pigs out there those are low numbers compared to other breeds.

My boar was about 300 lbs at slaughter @ about 2 1/2 yrs of age dressed out & hanging @ 153 lbs. The numbers could be off a bit that memory thing again but they are close. We opted to do the slaughter our selves because the slaughter guy was on vacation and we needed it done asap. That was a nightmare bad bad bad kill shot. The guy told us we did it too right and that it happens more often than people will admit. If it hasn't happened then the people got lucky or they haven't done enough yet. lol In any case that is just the most horrid experience one can have. We all want a fast easy kill for sure. Yet another one of those learning experiences that we went through. We then took the meat in to be processed mainly because of the time factor. Also my line of thought was then we would know what correct was by having pros do it first. Plus he was so big space was also an issue. After this we will do our own & do them smaller so time and space won't be such an issue. We did find out that a few places around here will not touch these types of pigs. They got tired of people complaining that there was not much meat. So before you buy know what the end process will be. You might also want to shop around for a vet that is willing to work with pigs. That was another obstacle that was hard to over come.

I love these pigs. They are great fun and so gentle. They are still pigs so you do need to respect that fact. Other wise you may find yourself in a bad situation. Some of this might sound like I am saying don't get this breed. No I just wish I had known some of this before we took the plunge. It would have made the learning curve much much shorter. Hope this helped at least some what. Or at the very least given food for thought. If you are looking for an even smaller pig the Kunekune are smaller than the AGH and supposedly root less. Oh and the AGH at least mind do not root that much most of the time. When pastures are dormant and looking pretty shabby they will root to get the root of plants. So really only do it for food purposes. When I had them in the yard they would root for dandelions and to get the moss out of the way. Once the dandelions were gone and the moss moved they didn't root any more at all. Never did root at all in the front yard dang and I wanted them too as that is where I was going to put another garden. lol. I would be glad to answer any questions if I can. Oh and that may be something you ask who you buy from How much after sale help advice info support are they willing to give? Some would be appropriate. But if you pay only $75 hours of phone questions the person may not be willing. lol Some people are just way busy and some want to talk pig all day. Then there are those that are in-between. There is a AGH group on face book and there is a yahoo group as well. Sending me a PM or email is the easiest way to get a response as I am not on the forum much these days. FYI

Hey all, it's been a while since we were on here. Our Guinea hogs are awesome. Just butchered our first one (on our own) and it's simply amazing meat. A couple of things. Our pasture space is limited and though we rotate, they are small and it doesn't take long for the hogs to clear them. Most of the time they are not grazing but are instead grain fed because of the small pasture space. We aren't sure if that's what we were hoping for with these hogs and hope that they can still thrive happily in the "pastures" even though they have not much to forage on.

Secondly I am terribly concerned about our sow and want any advice. She has round patches of dry skin that are crusting and falling off. So far only one has fallen off but it appears as though the other round patches of dry skin are going to do the same and I'd say there's about 4 in all. We are searching for a local vet to come take a look at her, but in the meantime do any of you know what this is? I've looked online and none of the skin diseases, mites, or ringworm seem to look just like this. Would LOVE any input and help!!! She just had her second litter of piglets and is a good mama. We have her and her piglets seperated from the rest of the hogs. Thanks in advance for any input.

Myria, I have had three female guinea hogs plus a boar for about two years now. I have one female that gets the skin condition you have mentioned.
I was concerned at first like yourself since it looks so bad. I never really found out what it is but I think its more or less just dry skin and seems to be associated with shedding hair also. She actually has it right now. It should go away in a month or two once she is done shedding and her new hair growth starts. My boar has it also right now just not as bad. There may be a treatment for it but it if there is I havent seeen it.

Evert, Thank you SO much. I've been so worried that we need to find a vet. The first patch of skin that fell off now seems to be healing over quite well and is looking much better, but now there is another that is about to fall off and a couple of other dry patches that look like they may do the same. I appreciate the feedback and if I find any sort of treatment to help I will let you know as well!

My pigs get some patchiness too from time to time. I use Vetericyn it looks like water but works great on so many things. Easy to apply too. Just a few squirts and good to go. We use in on ourselves and it seems to speed healing on lots of things from burns cuts stings.Best part it's not that $$. Don't know if it would work for you but you might try. You do need to apply a couple times a day though.

I also raised American Guinea Hogs and was simply amazed on how easily they fatten up on pasture in contrast to other breeds. They are so gentle and manageable. I'll definitely raise them again. I think this next time though, I'll try and cross breed them with a larger pig, just so there's that much more muscle mass. Ours were so gloriously fat, it was ridiculous.

Hello everyone. I am new to the forum, and to these wonderful pigs. We have had our pair exactly 5 days. LOL They were a gift from a friend. The sow is pregnant, and the previous owner "thinks" she is due in about 3 weeks. The agreement is, once the babies are weaned, my friend gets the entire litter...I get to keep the 3 yr old breeding pair. Not too bad a deal, I think. However, I am very new to these pigs, and just hope I know what I am doing. I have read up on them over the last 2 years...but I am sure there is a LOT I still need to learn. We currently have them in a 40 x 60 area, with a grassy/sunny front, shrubs and brush in the middle, and the back is under the trees with a small ditch running through the pen...never gets more than 2 inches deep in water. Their hut is 4 x 5ft..and so far they seem to be happy. I was told I can leave the male in with her when she has her little ones, that he will protect her/them. I hope this is true! So far they are sleeping together in their hut, and seem to be getting along just fine.

Debbie Cox yes many do leave the boar in with the sow. How ever sometimes that does not work so good. Just have a back up plan ready to go. Both my sows wanted away from everybody when they farrowed. I would also caution that yes it is a good thing that the boar will protect his family you want that. You just don't want him to protect them from you! Hubby found out the hard way with 28 stitches down his leg. Our boar was the biggest sweetheart teddy bear. But with all those female and male hormones running a muck it was not a good idea to turn his back on him. Please don't take this as your Boar will become dangerous and mean. It is just a precaution to ALWAYS be aware and alert for everybody's safety. Good luck and Congrats you will just love having these piggies around they are great!

Danellen Grower. Thank you for the great advice. We are working on another adjoining pen, with electric at the bottom, just in case. I do realize he will want to protect them from us...like any animal. I think he is great, but do not trust him enough to turn my back on him. Both of our pigs have the red hair overlay..and I am totally in love with them. PRAYING they throw a much desired red piglet.

I'm very new to pig farming. (2 weeks)
We got 2 American Guinea hogs and 2 kune kune. The mama AGH had 8 babies and started eating them. We saved 4 and brought them inside. There were several factors that might have contributed to this tragedy.
1. We had her for less than a week.
2. All four pigs were in the same pen. (She delivered sooner than we thought.)
3. It was 5 degrees outside.  She dug a hole and we had lots of hay for bedding.
4. We were told later we were feeding the wrong food.

How likely is it that Mama pig will do this again? We have fixed all the above problems. If bred again, she will deliver in the summer. We have a birthing place. We are feeding the right food. And she will have been here a few months.

Hi Sherrie,

Welcome to Permies.

I raise Kunekunes.  As you already know, aim for a warm weather birth. I know this is not always possible. My sow birthed in early December.

I do keep an insulated stall in my barn with heat lamps and an electric heater. This is not specifically for the pigs, but for any animal that needs care over the winter.

Given the temp, she may have eaten them after they had died.

Yes, feed is important.  Everyone seems to have their own special mix of grains, hay, etc.

To add, as I suspect you already know, if we do our best, we can increase the likelihood of successful outcomes, but there are no guarantees.

Sherrie Ryan wrote:I'm very new to pig farming. (2 weeks)
We got 2 American Guinea hogs and 2 kune kune. The mama AGH had 8 babies and started eating them. We saved 4 and brought them inside. There were several factors that might have contributed to this tragedy.
1. We had her for less than a week.
2. All four pigs were in the same pen. (She delivered sooner than we thought.)
3. It was 5 degrees outside.  She dug a hole and we had lots of hay for bedding.
4. We were told later we were feeding the wrong food.

How likely is it that Mama pig will do this again? We have fixed all the above problems. If bred again, she will deliver in the summer. We have a birthing place. We are feeding the right food. And she will have been here a few months.

I don't have information to add. I just wanted to encourage you.
Farming is all about learning through hard experience.
You sound resilient and that is an essential quality.
Welcome to Permies!