So You’re Thinking About Raising Pigs

If this is your first time here, welcome. I’m Brian. My wife Maci and I raise Black Beauty pigs here at DaleWood Farms in Daleville, Indiana.

When somebody tells me they’re thinking about bringing home their first pigs, I start with what needs to be ready before pickup day. Where are they going to sleep? How are you going to keep water in front of them? What’s your plan when it’s time to get them to the processor? That’s what we’ll walk through here, from getting your place ready to putting pork in the freezer.

Before you buy · Fence and shelter · Feed and water · Pickup day · Daily care · Processing and cost · Common questions

Before You Buy Your First Pigs

Decide what you want from the project. If your goal is freezer pork, start with healthy, weaned pigs from a farm that can tell you what they eat, how they drink, and what kind of fencing they know. A pair of compatible pigs from the same group is a practical starting point if you have room and budget for both. Ask about barrows, which are castrated males. Breeding adds a separate set of responsibilities, including farrowing, piglet care, and safe handling of mature animals.

• Check local zoning, setbacks, and any property restrictions. Plan where bedding, manure, and runoff will go before you choose a pen location.
• Find a veterinarian who sees pigs, and call a processor early. Ask what weights they accept, when to book, and what you’ll need for drop-off.
• Ask the seller for age, current feed, health and treatment history, identification, and pickup instructions. Verify destination-state rules before crossing state lines. For pigs entering Indiana, check Indiana BOAH’s swine entry requirements.

Build the Fence, Shelter, and Loading Area

Start with a secure perimeter and a small receiving pen. Sturdy livestock panels or suitable woven wire give new pigs a physical boundary. If you use electric fencing, introduce it inside that secure pen before counting on it in a paddock. Check low spots, gate corners, and places where pigs can root underneath. Keep vegetation off hot wires and use a fence tester to verify power.

Give pigs a dry, bedded resting area, shade, airflow, and protection from wind and rain. Put shelter on well-drained ground. Keep the area around feed and drinking water from turning into a permanent mud hole. In hot weather, have a cooling plan as well as shade and clean drinking water. In winter, check for frozen water and wet bedding.

There’s no universal number of pigs per acre. Soil, slope, drainage, season, and how often you move the pigs all matter. Rotate before the ground is badly rooted or muddy, rest used paddocks, and keep pigs and runoff away from streams and ponds. Set up a gate or alley you can use for sorting and loading when the pigs are full-grown. See Oregon State Extension’s pasture and fencing guidance.

Feed for Growth and Check Water Every Day

Use a complete swine feed formulated for the pigs’ current growth stage. Ask the seller what they were eating and make any feed change gradually. Pasture gives pigs room to forage and root. Growing pigs still need a balanced ration. Keep feed dry, protected from rodents, and where both pigs can eat without one pushing the other away. Skip kitchen scraps and plate waste as a starting practice. USDA advises keeping pork products and food waste away from pigs because they can spread disease.

Keep clean drinking water available at all times. Check that each pig knows how to use the waterer, test that it actually flows, and keep a backup supply for freezes or equipment failures. Watch for a sudden change in use. It can point to a blocked line, a leak, heat stress, or a health problem. See University of Minnesota Extension’s water guidance and Penn State Extension’s swine production guide.

Pickup Day and the First Week

Use a secure, ventilated livestock trailer or suitable livestock carrier with a nonslip floor. Prepare your unloading route before you leave, close gaps, and use gates or a sorting board to guide the pigs calmly. At home, show them the water and shelter, start with their familiar feed, and watch that each one drinks and eats.

If you already keep pigs, set up separate space and equipment for new arrivals. Ask your veterinarian how long to separate them and what monitoring or testing makes sense for your herd. Keep farm boots and tools clean, limit unnecessary pen traffic, and prevent contact with wild pigs. See USDA APHIS guidance for small pig owners.

What to Check Every Day

• Watch both pigs get up and move. Look for normal appetite, drinking, breathing, and manure.
• Test the waterer and fence. Check latches, bedding, shade, and the footing around feeders and waterers.
• Keep a simple record of feed, estimated weights, treatments, and changes you notice. Ask your veterinarian about vaccines, parasites, and any treatment withdrawal times before processing.
• Call a veterinarian promptly if a pig stops eating or drinking, struggles to breathe, becomes unable to stand, or if several pigs suddenly become ill. Call ahead before moving sick animals.

Plan the Budget, Processor, and Freezer

Budget for the pigs, feed, fencing and repairs, shelter and bedding, veterinary care, hauling, processing, and freezer space. Feed cost is easier to track when you write down how many bags you use and what they cost. Keep one-time setup costs separate so you can see what the next group might cost to raise.

Work backward from the processor’s date. Growth depends on genetics, starting weight, feed, weather, and the size you want. Ask the processor what size fits their equipment, how they want animals delivered, and when the cut sheet is due. If you plan to sell pork, verify inspection and sales requirements first. Indiana BOAH explains how inspected and custom-exempt processing differ. Custom-exempt meat is labeled “Not for Sale.”

Live weight is the weight of the pig on the farm. Hanging weight is the dressed carcass before it’s cut and trimmed. Take-home weight is what goes in your freezer. Bone-in choices, trimming, and the parts you ask to keep affect the packaged weight. Our freezer and pickup-cooler planner can help you make room before processing day.

Common Questions Before Pickup

Can I raise pigs on grass alone? Plan on a complete ration for growing pigs. What they forage changes with the season and paddock.

How long will it take? Start with the size you want and a processor’s available dates. Track growth as you go so you can adjust your plan early.

Can I start without a barn? A sturdy, dry shelter can work if it provides room to rest, airflow, shade, and weather protection. Plan for your hottest days and coldest nights before pickup.

What should be ready before I bring them home? Test the fence and waterer, bed the shelter, buy the starting feed, set up the unloading route, and have the veterinarian and processor numbers handy. Decide who will do the checks when you’re away.

Ready to raise your own? Explore DaleWood Black Beauty Piglets. If you’d rather have us raise the hog here, see Freezer Pork & Grow-Out.