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mulefoot hogs - what are their rooting habits?

 
Posts: 22
Location: marengo county, al
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One of these days, in the near future, I am planning to raise mulefoot hogs (since I've read positive reviews of them). I have about 35 acres for them to grow on, with about 4 acre being open. The rest is fairly heavily treed with a mixture of pine and hardwoods. Among the trees there are parts that are heavily overgrown with wisteria, kudzu, privet, and etc... Have any of you had positive results of hogs taking care of/helping clearing this type of stuff out?
Can anybody also tell me about the rooting habits of mulefoot hogs in particular? The land has many slopes and fairly wet bottoms...
I also plan to raise florida cracker sheep, and maybe a few goats to help clean up under the trees...so, the question is about the hogs, not other ideas.
 I appreciate any answers and information that can be provided. Thank you in advance.

Nate
 
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Posts: 6814
Location: Arkansas - Zone 7B/8A stoney, sandy loam soil pH 6.5
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I asked a friend that raises mule foot hogs, he informed me that they do just like my American guinea hogs, they will root some but as long as there is greenery to be had. Limit how much they root around by daily moving to new pasture space.
My hogs root when they want earthworms or grubs or roots for their diet. otherwise the only rooting they do is to create their wallow just the way they want it.

If my friend is right, then your MF hogs will browse tender leaves they can reach, rub the bark off any tree they want to scratch on, push over small trunked trees from their rubbing and they will create a wallow that is large enough for all of them to mud bath at the same time.
They will eat grass right down (kind of like sheep) or rip it out by the roots, they will need to be moved every day if they have a small area to feed from (1/4 acre is done in one day by three hogs).
 
nate sherve
Posts: 22
Location: marengo county, al
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Thanks for the reply. The lots are going to be a good bit larger than a 1/4 acre. I plan to fence the entire piece of property (still need to do that before anything else), so there will be a good bit of trees in just about every plot...
 
pollinator
Posts: 526
Location: Missouri Ozarks
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Mine always rooted plenty.  I'd pen them in the garden late fall to turn it over in preparation for spring.

Whatever a particular batch's rooting habits, Mulefoots (Mulefeet?) are darn tasty critters.
 
Posts: 1114
Location: Mountains of Vermont, USDA Zone 3
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I haven't had mulefoot hogs but my experience with many other breeds and thousands of pigs on pasture is that rooting is not a function of breed but rather of management and what is below the soil surface as opposed to on the surface. Rule of thumb is if the pigs are rooting, extensively, then it is time to rotate them to new pasture. The exception to the rule is that the first pass or two through virgin pasture there will be more grubs and tubers so rooting is higher but it should still not be a moon scape. See: http://SugarMtnFarm.com/rootless-in-vermont
 
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