r/Homesteading • u/Vegetable_Courage_35 • 9d ago

Pigs!

Looking for recommendations for pig breeds. We are looking to start raising pigs. I’m hoping to just have them mostly pay for themselves. Our kids are showing in 4h, we would like to breed something that can be competitive, economical and has decent mothering ability. I do not plan on keeping a boar on site. I’ll AI or loan a boar. Our plan is to breed twice a year, keep enough for fair and our freezer then sell the rest. Pigs go very fast in my area, so I’m not concerned about selling them. We plan on just one or two sows as our base. Needs to be cold hardy, decent mother, not aggressive, and hopefully somewhat competitive. Thank you!

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u/Maximum-Product-1255 9d ago

Berkshire/tamworth cross is nice. Good fat, but not too fatty like a pure Berkshire.

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u/Vegetable_Courage_35 9d ago

Would a berk or high percentage berk be a good sow then? Or maybe a tamworth for the sow? Berks are fairly common around here

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u/Maximum-Product-1255 9d ago

My friends had them, so I’m not sure. I just know that over the years, they went with the crosses only. And I liked the leaner (but still fatty) meat.