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Guinea Hogs Heritage hogs for pastured pork
We love our Guinea hogs! They are very easy to keep and pleasant to have around.
By raising them, we are helping to preserve a critically endangered heritage breed. In return, they improve our pastures, root out weeds, till our gardens, and provide us with meat to eat and piglets to sell.
Guinea hogs are an American heritage breed of domestic farm pig. Their docile natures, excellent foraging abilities, and moderate size make them perfect for small, homestead-type farms.
Once the most common type of pig in the southeastern United States, their numbers declined as the number of small, homestead farms dwindled and factory farming increased. At one time, there were only 35 Guinea hogs left.
Efforts to preserve the breed have now increased their numbers to about 1,100 registered pigs. They are still listed as critically endangered by The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.
Guinea Hog Characteristics
Origin: Southeastern USA, 1800s
Size: 150-300 lbs. 22”-27” tall
Color: Solid black or, very rarely, red. Some have minimal white points at the feet and tip of the nose.
Temperament: Very docile and friendly. An excellent choice for small sustainable family farms. They do well with children and with other farm animals.
Care: Adaptable to a wide range of environments. They fatten easily and, if they have access to pasture (or hay) and table scraps, require very little additional feed.
Reproduction: Guinea hogs can breed at 6 to 8 months old, but it’s recommended that you let the females grow to about 10 months before breeding. Sows have 2 litters per year, with an average of 6 piglets per litter.
Life Span: 10-15 years
Meat: At 6 months, they provide a nicely marbled carcass of flavorful, gourmet meat. There is no need to castrate young male hogs intended for slaughter at 6 months old. |
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Find out more about this wonderful and endangered breed of pig by visiting these sites:
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