Preface

1 An Introduction to Raising Hogs
Hog-Farming Trends * Modern Pork Production * Hog Myths * Talkin' Hog * Thinking Hogs * Identify Your Markets

2 Breeds Tried and True
Choosing Breeding Stock for Small Farms * Modern Swine Breeds * Why Purebred Hogs Instead of Hybrids? * Choose a Breed Type to Match Your Farm * Pigs as Pets

3 Raising Hogs for the Family Table
The Facilities * Essential Equipment * Buying a Pig or Two * Feeding Hogs * Bringing Your Pigs Home * Swine Finishing

4 Home Butchering and Pork Processing
Slaughtering the Hog * Breaking Down the Carcass * Butchering * Putting Away the Pork * Preserving Pork * There’s Pork in This? — Pork Recipes

5 Fitting and Showing Hogs
Showing Market Hogs * Showing Breeding Stock

6 The Hog Business
Running a Manageable Operation * How Many Hogs for Success? * Know Your Market * A Shift in Feeder-Pig Production * Show Pigs * Farrow-to-Finish Production * Finishing Hogs * Breeding-Stock Production * Direct Marketing Your Own Pork * What about Organic? * Contented Hogs * Lean and Green

7 Preparing for Your Herd
The Drylot * The Pasture * Fencing Choices * The Range House * Farrowing Structures * Housing for Sows with Nursing Pigs

8 Selecting Breeding Stock
Shopping for Livestock * Performance Data * Gilt Selection * Boar Selection * Bidding Decisions

9 Managing Your Breeding Herd
Bringing in the Boar * Bringing in Gilts * Breeding Gilts * What's Best for the Boar * Gestation * Farrowing * The Pig at Birth * Caring for the Newborn Pig * Postfarrowing Sow Care * Care for Nursing Pigs * Weaning * Growout

10 Hog Health Care
A New Vulnerability * Breed Your Way Back to Vigor * A Health-Care Philosophy * Just the Basics * Veterinary Care * Injections * Parasite Control * Swine Ailments and Illnesses

11 Managing Your Hog Operation
Record Keeping * Marketing Hogs * The Hog Industry: Today and Tomorrow

12 Day-to-Day Life with Hogs
Movin’ Hogs the Easy Way * Managing Information * Do It Right the First Time * Take Time to Scratch Their Ears * Goals * Every Pig Is Precious * Buying at Auction * Hog-Farm Fashion * Hog People

Epilogue
Appendixes
   Hog Anatomy
   Reproductive Information
   Record-Keeping Templates
   Sample Calendar Year for the Diversified Small Producer
Resources
Glossary
Metric Conversion Charts
Index

Storey's Guide to Raising Pigs, 4th Edition

Care, Facilities, Management, Breeds