Friday, August 2, 2013

Tips For Raising Pigs On Your Small Farm

By Lianne Derocco


With the back-to-land movement becoming popular again, a lot of people are now motivated to go green and go back to simple living and this can mean purchasing farmland and raising your own food the organic way. Many people keep different varieties of poultry and some are even learning how to keep bees. Raising pigs or hogs either for just your family or perhaps as a business is another option organic farmers might consider.

The only really guarantee that the foods you eat are natural and organic is when you raise and grow it all yourself. There are organic, free-range hog farms, of course, but much of the pork we buy has been given a great deal of antibiotics and the foods given to the animals certainly aren't usually organic, and you have no way to know exactly how the animals were raised and fed. Raising your own pig is a great way to enjoy eating all natural and organic food especially if you love it. Excellent quality of meat is produced by a happy pig that is allowed to roam free and fed only the best of foods.

Before you may start raising your very own hog or pigs, you should first learn how to maintain and care for your livestock. This includes learning how to slaughter animals is a fast, safe and humane manner. There are laws regarding the conditions of your slaughterhouse or slaughtering area, and you also need to practice careful hygiene and sanitation in the slaughtering and processing area.

All animals need proper nurture and care, and pigs and hogs are no exception. A suitable pig pen should be placed far enough away from your home so that odors from waste are not a problem. The pen should be large enough to accommodate the animal or animals and completely secure. Cleaning the pens regularly can avoid them from getting any harmful bacteria and reduce odor issues, as well. Also be sure that your yard is securely fenced to keep your pigs in and predators out. Pigs enjoy roaming, but they also need an area where they can rest and keep cool, as it is easy for them to become overheated.

You will need to find a large animal veterinarian to further ensure your pigs health. It is greatly recommended to find one that is easily accessible. Having a nearby veterinarian with you is a great help especially because you will never know when emergencies would show up. To avoid affecting the health of your hogs and also your family especially of you have children with you, your hog's waste should be taken care of.

Every day hogs produce high quantity of waste and this waste needs to be treated and contained securely, otherwise it poses a health risk to your livestock and anyone who works or lives on your farm. Untreated hog waste can form a bottom layer of sludge and also crust over on the top, which causes an excess of odors. Agra Sphere is an easy-to-use agricultural waste management product that is natural and free from chemicals. Agra Sphere not only eats up the sludge layer and prevents crusting; it also improves the quality of the waste so that it becomes a better fertilizer.




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