Grass Fed Hogs?

Today on Sapphire Farms we are discussing Grass Fed Pork.  Now most consume grain fed pork as this is the normal way of raising hogs. Hogs are fed everything from bad dog food, trash such as paper & plastic, and rotten food. Yuck! This passes through their meat which then is eaten by humans. This also along with GMO feed causes the meat to be bland and white.  Pork should not be white. It should be a rich red color.

 Now, through breeding and culling for years to improve desired traits the IPP was created; better known as the Idaho Pasture Pig. This breed has a wonderful disposition (friendly) for homesteaders and individuals wanting to learn how to handle pigs. IPP’s do not get as large as our Red Wattles, but they bring a lot to a homestead.

 First, they truly graze grass making them easy feeders when grain prices are skyrocketing. Part of being a homesteader is to be sustainable. If you can raise your own livestock feed your saving a lot of money. IPP’s diet is 80 to 90% grass and in winter they eat hay just like our cattle making the feed cost much lower since we produce hay on our farm. The homesteader’s inputs matter for over all health of the consumer and for the livestock; and savings are expediential. The grain they receive on our farm is 10% of their diet which includes corn, peas, wheat, and minerals.  By feeding them daily assures us they are getting the required minerals daily. Most pigs do not get the required minerals due to lack of minerals in the soil. This affects the quality of life of most livestock. Feeding them daily allows time to interact with our pigs, which helps them trust us; not be scared.

Second, Farrowing. When in their natural environment pigs will farrow well without human assistance. They will raise 7-12 healthy little bacon seeds, our heart felt name for them.  Some IPP’s will have as few as 4 whereas others could have as many as 16. The average is around 10. Proper breeding is preferred with unrelated stock or at least not closely related. Some breeds allow close-relative breeding which could breed undesirable traits. Pigs could farrow as many times as 4 a year, but this is not preferred as the sow has no down time. We prefer to farrow twice a year in the spring and fall. However, if your weather is extreme, I would not recommend late fall farrowing unless you have proper housing with lots of hay/straw to keep everyone warm.

Third, the quality of grass-fed meat is outstanding.  The meat from IPP is red like beef with beautiful marbling. Now it does take more time to finish them out, however the feed consumption is not higher. In fact, the feed consumption is much lower than normal hogs.  Finish time is around 11 months with raising this type of pork but honestly, I feel slow grown meat is worth the wait. The marbling and flavor will be enhanced with time.  Proper marbling will provide the homesteader with lard and leaf lard.

Finally, when trying to decide which livestock work best for your homestead, you might want to look at IPP’s. Farrowing 7-12 pigs at a time could keep a family in pork for a whole year with extra to offer to other family members, barter, or sell. IPP’s are a win for homesteaders.