What do you do to cut expenses down?

[lcertuche]

AGH is what I would like to have. If I ever get my pen fixed I may get some. DH wants some pigs but of course being a city boy he has no idea what a commitment they are. I am so careful to lock up the yardbirds every night and I worry about something getting pigs if I couldn't lock them up at night. The last time I had pigs I had an electric fence around them which I guess kept the critters out.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Very few things will mess with adult pigs. If we ever have breeding stock, we will do AGH's. Buying piglets to raise for meat, AGH's would be cost prohibitive. I do love them!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I am committed to the breed. If I'm going to raise/have pigs, I'm going to have AGH's even though they are slower to grow out. But considering that they do a whole lot of growing on pasture only it does save some feed money. And, since we grow grass almost year round it's not a bad deal. Probably only a few months in winter that I feel they NEED feed. They will eat hay right along with the goats too.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Absolutely, just buying a piglet for $125 (what they go for here), then paying to feed it is too expensive. They are awesome, though!

 

[Wannabefree]

If I were to ever raise any more that's what I'd get...a breeding pair of AGH's.

 

[baymule]

My first pigs (2016) were Large Black/Berkshire and the second (2017) were Red Wattles. Both were good meat, the Red Wattles were the best natured.

 

[Mini Horses]

My AGHs were so friendly & easy to handle! Good moms, tame boars. Plus they are not know taint carriers. I butchered 2 adult boars and no taint, yes, they had been running with & breeding gilts until I put them into the trailer. Here, you get about $50 for a weaned AGH. They do not attain the size of the others. For me, better to handle & process. Ample meat, nice flavor, yes lard hogs but more a layer on outer frame than thru the meat itself. That was marbled but NOT in any way excessive. Another feeder? I'd use an AGH again.

Plus -- if they got out, they just came back up to barn area near house. I had them there as weanlings. Never had to chase them, just call "piggy, piggy" and they'd come, follow me anywhere, talking the whole time!

 

[NH Homesteader]

$50? Yikes I would have some if they were that cheap here!

 

[lcertuche]

I've seen pretty reasonable prices around here for AGH's.

 

[Beekissed]

I've heard you can castrate those older boars and wait a bit for their testosterone levels to subside and their meat loses that strong flavor. Says it even makes them put on more weight if you do this. Sounds like a win/win.