Large Black Breeding Stock
As a small family farm we can say with certainty that the Large Black Pig has a place in “alternative” or the “new-old” way of farming.
Here is why…
-Produce premium quality pork products great for direct marketing to discriminating customers.
-Instincts allow them to thrive in a low-input/pastured management system
-Calm dispositions make them easy to manage on pasture without the need for expensive facilities and equipment. Plus, their darling personalities provide endless hours of free entertainment.
-General hardiness allows them to flourish without the use of chemicals of any kind.
-Foraging ability and feed efficiency reduces grain input costs while allowing producers to be creative with more close-to-home forms of supplementation including pumpkins, apple pulp, nuts and so on.
-Good mothering ability means a high “weaned pig per sow rate” which translates to a higher profit per sow. I have heard it said that “a sow is born with everything she needs to know to be a sow”. We have certainly found this to be true of the Large Black.
The Large Black Pig is currently ranked as Critically Endangered by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. For all of the previously stated reasons, we believe that the Large Black is a breed worth saving, that the qualities that it possesses will be useful on more and more small farms as an alternative to industrial pork production.
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A glimpse at our management practices...
What they eat: Lush legumes and grasses found in the pastures as well as berries, bugs and roots found in the woods provide much of the diet for our hogs. Additional supplemental feeds such as spent barley, pumpkins, apple pulp, nuts and garden produce are given when available by season. We use the Fertrell 16% grower ration (minus the Rumicult) for pigs up to 5 months of age and then switch to their 14% finisher ration. With this ration and decent pasture boars will reach around 280 lbs by 8 months of age, with gilts weighing in slightly less. Diatomaceous Earth can also be added to their grain mix at a rate of 75 lbs. per ton of feed. Our pigs have constant access to fresh clean water.
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Where they live: We practice management intensive grazing to improves our parasite control as well as our pastures and woods. Some of our paddocks are woven wire while others are four-strand polywire. Our shelters are metal roofed with open sides in the warmer months, providing a perfect place for them to rest after cooling themselves in their wallow during the heat of the day. We close up all but the south wall of the shelters during the winter months and supply deep bedding for them. It is not uncommon for us to graze the sheep, cattle and hens in with the pigs. We have found that the hogs tolerate other species quite well. Mature boars should be kept individually, away from other mature boars, but can be kept with other species.
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| Hens checking out the new littler of ten |
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Breeding Goals: For the future of the breed, it is important that each potential breeding animal be assessed for the qualities that make the Large Blacks so wonderful. Any that fall short should be used only for meat.
Our Specific Breeding Goals:
1. General Heartiness
2. Mothering Traits of Breeding Sows:
-Farrow unassisted.
-Protective and observant of her litter (careful to not overlay).
-Has abundant milk for her litter with acceptable weight gain of pigs by weaning time. Size of pigs within each litter should be fairly even.
-Calm with a gentle temperament.
3. Conformation:
-Strong, straight, square, wide-set legs
-Long bodies
-Broad chest
-Wide rump
-Teat placement
-Good strong hooves
4. Prolificacy:
-Have an acceptable prolificacy rate
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| Gilt close to farrowing |
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| Reproduction: Gilts are generally bred when they reach 9 months of age. Boars reach breeding age several months earlier so it is important to keep boars separate after around 5 months of age. Sows have a three week cycle. If a sow is in heat she will stand for the boar without walking away. A sow will not always take within the first cycle she is in with a boar so it is wise to keep her in with the boar for between 10-12 weeks. Gestation is 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days. Gilts generally produce 8-10 pigs while sows usually produce 10-12 pigs.
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We put out a broken bale of straw a few weeks before farrowing so that the sow can make her nest. It is difficult to “re-home” the sow for farrowing after her nesting instinct has kicked in. Immediately before farrowing her teats will firm up and her vulva will swell. She will also eat much less in the few days before she farrows. We try to time farrowing in April and October when the weather is not too cold. She will farrow her litter, generally with around 20 minutes between each pig and then she will go about the business of motherhood. The pigs will be up exploring soon after birth. We keep a large tub of water and feed next to the shelter for after the sow has farrowed. A good sow will be careful to lay down away from her litter as to not squish them. Lactation is demanding on the sow so it is important to feed her well during this time. The pigs will start eating grass just a few days after they are born. We wean them at 6-7 weeks of age when they weigh around 25 lbs. The sow will begin cycling 5-10 days after weaning.
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Sales: The best of each litter are sold as breeding stock and the rest we grow out for meat. We are building a genetically diverse herd with unrelated lines (of course they are all somewhat related). The Large Blacks are an enchanting breed and we look forward to working with you on starting your own herd. Breeding stock, both gilts and boars, are available at 6-8 weeks of age when they weigh 20-25 lbs. A non-refundable $100 deposit per head is applied to the final purchase price of $350. Out of state health certificates are included but testing required by the state in which the purchaser resides is the responsibility of the purchaser. We travel to surrounding states for various reasons on a somewhat consistent basis and if possible are happy to meet you in your "neck of the woods" with pigs. Contact us directly if you are interested in breeding stock or if we can answer any questions.
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| Way past time to wean! |
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