The Benefits, Myths and Downside of Keeping Pigs

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So you’re considering keeping pigs, but you’re not sure if they’re for you? It would be nice to hear stories from someone who has done it before. Someone who knows the ups and downs. Well, here you go. I have been raising meat pigs in my backyard since 2014. I would love to share some of the wisdom I have gleaned from my experience.

Table of Contents

More pig farming advice . . .

This article is part of the series The Complete Guide to Raising Pigs in Your Backyard.

The Benefits, Myths and Downside of Keeping Pigs

Benefits of Keeping Pigs

Can I just start out saying, “I love keeping pigs”! I could go on and on about how beneficial they are to our lives. Pigs are one of the most efficient animals you can raise in terms of meat. Over 80% of a pig’s body is usable meat and they don’t need acres of pasture to house them. Here are my top 8 reasons to love keeping pigs on your homestead:

Turn Food Scraps into Pork: Pigs can eat all your leftovers or unsavory garden/orchard produce that would otherwise be wasted. My favorite part about keeping pigs is how eco-friendly they make our household. All of our food scraps and garden waste get turned into future food. Slop, as it’s called saves on the cost of feed for your row-styles well.
Garden Prep :They can till and prep your garden for you! A great setup for your pig enclosure is building two fenced-in enclosures. This way, you can rotate your pigs and your garden from year to year. The pigs root up soil with their noses. This action saves a ton of labor if you have a plot or row style garden. You can also move your pigs to clean up the garden after the season is over. I have fenced areas in our woods where I want to clear the undergrowth. The pigs have eagerly provided their free labor.
Higher Quality Meat for Less: You can save greatly on the cost of pork. Raising your own meat can save anywhere from $0.50-$2.00 per pound compared to grocery store pork (the average price of pork is currently $3.75/lb). Plus, the meat will taste better when the pigs receive a more diverse diet, and live a healthy, active lifestyle.
Free Fertilizer: Pig manure is a great addition to compost. Use it to enrich garden soil after it has been aged for a few months. Let pigs into your garden or shovel it. They can fertilize the soil with their manure. As a result, next year’s garden plants will be bigger, healthier, and more productive. I have had the biggest tomato harvests I could have imagined from my pig manure garden!
Fun and Educational for Kids: They are so fun to watch, especially for children. Pigs love to frolic and play. They pal up with their buddies and even have a social hierarchy within their herd. They love cooling off in a muddy puddle and appreciate being sprayed with water on hot days. My kids have a blast spraying the pigs with the hose. The pigs cheerfully run through the shower like kids playing in the sprinkler.
Easy to House: Pigs don’t require a large space. Commercial pigs are often kept in tiny pens where they barely have enough room to turn around. Having a large pen in your backyard is a far superior treatment. You can make their pen any size or shape you have space for. They are happy in open areas or woodland lots. In fact, since pigs are foragers, they benefit from diverse terrain that isn’t suited to much else.
Small Time Commitment: Yes, you can still take a vacation! As long as your pigs have full feeders and water barrels, they can be left alone for several days. If you want to go away for an extended period, ask a friend for help. They can fill up their food and water while you’re gone. There are no daily chores when it comes to keeping pigs. Check on them a couple of times a week. Ensure they have food and water. Always check that they haven’t caused any damage to their enclosure.
Produce Income: You can earn income from raising meat pigs or breeding. Your animals can help supplement income on your homestead or farm.

Debunking Hog Myths

Hogs are dirty, stinky animals.

Quite the opposite actually. Pigs are very clean animals. They will designate a bathroom area within their enclosure off along the side and go there every time they need to eliminate. (This also makes it easy to remove their manure, if desired.)
They do enjoy wallowing in cool mud, but this is because they can’t sweat to regulate their body temperature. Mud also acts as a skin protectant from sunburn and biting insects.

Pigs are escape artists.

Pigs do not want to be outside of their enclosure. We have had a few pigs escape (because we stupidly stacked hay bales next to the fence for stairs). But they didn’t run away. They just lay next to the fence and tried to get back in. They want to be where their food, water, and friends are. Regular perimeter checks are necessary to make sure their rooting activities don’t create an escape tunnel. But they are generally happy inside their fence.

You can feed a pig anything and they will eat it

A pig’s diet is not much different than that of a human. They don’t eat garbage or non-food items, in fact, they can even be picky eaters at times. Don’t feed pigs raw meat/eggs or anything moldy or spoiled. Although they can eat human food that’s just past its expiration date. We often find leftovers in the slop trough that everyone turned their noses up at. Every pig has different taste preferences, but they all still eat like pigs!

Hogs are aggressive

Different breeds have different temperaments, but overall, domestic pigs are docile, friendly animals. They can be socialized when they are young and even trained to some extent. If you visit them regularly, they will get used to having humans around. They are very motivated by food and treats. This a powerful tool to teach your pigs what you want them to do. Our pigs are always excited to see us because they know it means a full tummy!

Pig Knowledge The Benefits, Myths and Downside of Keeping Pigs

The Downside of Keeping Pigs

This all sounds great, but what can go wrong you ask? Well, everyone has a different experience with keeping pigs and each pig can have a vastly different temperament. Some may find that the chores are an annoyance. It can be a lot of work for the income it produces. But apart from opinion, there are a few things that can make pig raising a real challenge. However, with proper management, many of these issues can be resolved.

Pigs Escaping: Pigs generally do not want to be away from the safety of their friends, home, and food. However, they will take advantage of an opportunity to forage and explore. Make sure your fencing is secure and do frequent security checks. Don’t have anything on the inside of the fence that the pigs could climb and jump out. Most of the time, they will try to get back into their enclosure and find they cannot. Be prepared for a potential pig escape. Design your enclosure with a double-gated entrance. This way, pigs can be baited and trapped in the small area. Afterward, they can be let back into the large enclosure. This is also handy as a loading area when it’s time to take the pigs to market.
Unwanted Destruction: If you are considering purchasing pigs, know that they tear up the earth with their noses. Pigs cause significant damage to the ground. They are quite powerful and can create large holes in a very short amount of time. You need to keep an eye on their fencing perimeter to make sure they don’t dig themselves an escape route. If you choose to raise pigs on a large pasture, expect bare soil by the end of summer.
Water Freezing: When raising backyard pigs, a barn is not always an option. Food and water are typically housed outside but still within the pig enclosure. During winter, water tanks can freeze over and cause damage as well as thirsty animals. Utilizing a water tank de-icer can save you massive headaches over a frozen water source.
They Attract Flies: Yes it’s true, flies can be an issue with just about any type of livestock. A muddy area just filled with live animals and their manure? Fly’s paradise. But knowing this, be prepared with a few fly traps and the problem will be much diminished.
Emotional Ties at Butchering Time: There’s no easy fix for this issue. The best approach is to set clear expectations from the beginning. Before you start pig farming, prepare yourself mentally for animal processing. You must also be ready to butcher them when the time comes. Feel good that these animals lived a healthier, happier life than they would have in a commercial setting.
Transportation: Figuring out how to get livestock to the butcher is challenging for newbie pig farmers. You have thousands of pounds of pigs to move. A covered livestock trailer is the best choice. However, they can carry a hefty cost and require storage space. You can rent a trailer or ask around on Facebook groups for anyone who might lend or rent you theirs. You can also convert a standard trailer with wood and fencing to house your pigs for significant savings.

Let’s Share Stories!

Please share your story of keeping pigs. Let readers know about your trials or successes. The best part about homesteading is how this community of like-minded people cares about helping others through the journey.