# Pigs for sale in SC?



## Critter Keeper (Nov 1, 2007)

Hey everybody. I'm new to the pig forum. We have a Yorkshire cross boar and are thinking of getting a gilt to breed. I also have a friend who is looking for at least one gilt. We would like to get colored pigs, no white or pink. Maybe Duroc, Yorkshire, or others will be considered. Please let me know who has any for sale out there. Thanks!

Cindy


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## HeritagePigs (Aug 11, 2009)

Look on Craigslist. There should be lots of inexpensive cross pigs there.


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## Critter Keeper (Nov 1, 2007)

Heritage Pigs

Thanks! I will check there.

Cindy


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## HeritagePigs (Aug 11, 2009)

That's where I sell mine and I have lots of competition


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## Critter Keeper (Nov 1, 2007)

HeritagePigs,

I checked but didn't see anything yet. Sorry for the thread drift, but how long does it take for the Large Blacks to mature on pasture? Just in case I happen to see some on Craigslist close by.

Cindy


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## Rockfish (Feb 24, 2009)

Do check craigslist, but also check the SC Market Bulletin (GA and NC have something similar you might want to check). You can see the SC Market Bulletin at the SC Dept of Agriculture website.

We live in the middle of SC and will have feeders for sale later in the fall. I advertise on both sources cited above. (The Greenville and Columbia craigslist tend to have more pigs than Florence, Chas, and Augusta).

Best of luck in your search.


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## HeritagePigs (Aug 11, 2009)

Hi Cindy,

Large Blacks, in fact all pigs, grow slower on pasture than if they are full fed grain. But grass fed pork is significantly healthier (proven) and more tasty (IMO) than grain fed pork. You can Google "grass fed pork" and learn about all the nutrition benefits of grass fed. It takes about eight months to grow a Large Black to butcher size on pasture; a LB cross will grow a bit faster. And it's always wise to supplement pasture fed pigs with balanced pig feed to ensure they get all the minerals they need.

Large Blacks are also still rare. It's hard to find anyone selling purebreds as feeder hogs. Usually breeders will sell extra barrows but good gilts are sold as replacement sows. 

Most breeders (me included) cross Large Blacks with other heritage breeds (Hamps, Tamworths) to provide feeder pigs. This has mostly to do with hybrid vigor but also has to do with cost. We just sold two litters of LB/GOS crosses and our Hamp sow is about to have her LB cross litter. They sell for $40 to $60 each as weaned piglets.

You may want to check the breeder list on the Large Black Hog Association website to find breeders close to you and ask if they sell feeder crosses.

Brian


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## HeritagePigs (Aug 11, 2009)

Yep, i checked Craigslist in SC too and didn't see much. Maybe you should breed some? Looks like a wide open market...

I did see some Ossabaw piglets for $100. Pricey but I've heard they taste good...

BTW, when i search Craigslist for pigs I use this search phrase:
pig|pigs|piglet|piglets|hog|hogs|boar|boars|sow|sows

You have to weed through all the Bush Hog and misspelled goat ads but this search phrase does seem to catch all the pig ads.

Edit: For some reason "sows" (at the end) comes out as "so ws" in this post. Weird.


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## Critter Keeper (Nov 1, 2007)

Rockfish said:


> Do check craigslist, but also check the SC Market Bulletin (GA and NC have something similar you might want to check). You can see the SC Market Bulletin at the SC Dept of Agriculture website.
> 
> We live in the middle of SC and will have feeders for sale later in the fall. I advertise on both sources cited above. (The Greenville and Columbia craigslist tend to have more pigs than Florence, Chas, and Augusta).
> 
> Best of luck in your search.


Rockfish,
We get the Market Bulletin and I have been checking it but all I seem to find are Pot Bellies and boars. I also check the IWANNA and haven't found anything in it either. What kind do you raise? I will keep it in mind in case we are still looking.



HeritagePigs said:


> Hi Cindy,
> 
> Large Blacks, in fact all pigs, grow slower on pasture than if they are full fed grain. But grass fed pork is significantly healthier (proven) and more tasty (IMO) than grain fed pork. You can Google "grass fed pork" and learn about all the nutrition benefits of grass fed. It takes about eight months to grow a Large Black to butcher size on pasture; a LB cross will grow a bit faster. And it's always wise to supplement pasture fed pigs with balanced pig feed to ensure they get all the minerals they need.
> 
> ...


Brian,
Thanks for the info. I have been reading up on the different breeds and what I like about the LB's are the fact that they don't root as much. We want to pasture raise. We have a Yorkshire/Poland China cross boar now. We got him and two barrows for a really good deal, so that's how we started with pigs. In your experience how do the crosses do as far as rooting?



HeritagePigs said:


> Yep, i checked Craigslist in SC too and didn't see much. *Maybe you should breed some? Looks like a wide open market...*
> 
> I did see some Ossabaw piglets for $100. Pricey but I've heard they taste good...
> 
> ...


That's what I know and what I intend to do. We already have buyers if we could just get this thing going  I'm also trying to help the local Livestock and Forages Agent find some breeding age gilts. That should tell you something in itself. He's on the same page I am as far as grass fed, rotational and all that good stuff. I will keep checking and may have to go with what I can find at the moment, but in the future I would like to get gilts that are good grazers to get a good breeding program going. I'm still learning about all of this stuff so thanks for any informative info you can give me.

Cindy


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## Rockfish (Feb 24, 2009)

I have a purebred Hampshire Boar and the following sows: pb Hampshire, pb Yorkshire, Hamp/York cross, Duroc/Tamworth cross, pb Tamworth, pb Berkshire and Duroc/York cross. I also have a young Ossabaw boar and two Ossabaw gilts which I will be breeding soon.

Pigs seem to be scarce in these parts this year-especially non-white pigs. I get calls all the time-often many of my pigs get sold before I can advertise.

I may actually have a gilt or two which may be of interest to you. Both were the best or close to the best gilts of their respective litters. I haven't advertised them as I had thoughts of raising them for ourselves. One is a 5-month old Hamp X Duroc/York gilt (all black with white feet) and the other is 3-month old Hamp X Duroc/Tam (black with white markings). Private Message me if you want more details. I am not sure I want to sell either and will have to consult with my wife.

Thanks.- Jim


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## Critter Keeper (Nov 1, 2007)

We have found pigs to be scarce too, and we don't want white ones. That's one of the reasons we were wanting to raise some. Since we got our first pigs ( 1 boar, 2 barrows) we have had people ask us about buying some. We processed one of the barrows and have the other barrow and boar left. I have figured out that we probably need to put two in the freezer a year just for our needs, so the other barrow will most likely get processed sometime soon. For now if we could at least cover the cost of the feed and our processing fees I would be happy, but I would like to generate some income from them in the near future. I will PM you.

Cindy


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## HeritagePigs (Aug 11, 2009)

Cindy, the "LB's don't root" is a myth. They will root as much as any other hog given the right circumstances. The reason people think they don't root is that we all raise LBs on pasture. As long as there is adequate growth (short, tender) pigs will not tend to root. It is when the pasture gets very short, or you put them in a pen or barn, that pigs root. They get hungry, stressed and bored.

Hogs that are not used to grazing will root even when the pasture is in good shape simply because they haven't yet learned that the food is on top of the ground and rooting was a behavior they learned while in "captivity". Once they get used to grazing the rooting generally stops. But I've also learned that rooting can be taught. One good rooter can spoil a whole herd of nice grass eaters 

If the pasture gets wet then all hogs will root as the soil becomes so easy to turn. If it gets soggy, well, plant your garden there next year 

Some people will ring their hogs to stop them from rooting. This is usually wholly unnecessary and is a really bad idea as it interferes with their ability to forage and can interfere with boar mating behavior. Ringed hogs are generally less productive than those left in their natural state.

Rooting also is beneficial to the soil and pasture. It mixes the top layer so that nutrients and seeds are brought to the surface. It also encourages the growth of native plants which are often just as nutritious as transplanted grasses and will endure the environment better.

The key to controlling rooting is to always have the hogs on good pasture. When they have eaten the grass down to the point at which leaves start growing (read this) it's time to move them to the next paddock. As long as you keep them moving there should always be lots of leaves to eat and they should not be going after the roots. They will root here and there to get at salt and the critters that live just under the surface but this is a natural and desirable behavior.

Now, Large Blacks do seem to be able to benefit more from eating pasture than modern breeds. They seem to be able to fulfill more of their nutritional needs from forage. This is one reason they make such good pasture hogs and may contribute to the perception that they root less.

Cross breeds inherit the traits of their parents (and whatever ancestors came before them). If you cross a Large Black with a modern breed the offspring may or may not inherit the LBs ability to do better on pasture. That's why I and some other heritage hog breeders only cross a heritage that is known to do well on pasture with another heritage with similar traits. I just sold the last of my latest Hamp X GOS litters and never had to feed them anything. They lived from birth to nine to twelve weeks completely off mama and pasture and had nice growth rates and health. They were a big hit locally. 

I can't say whether your York X Poland will create good pasture hogs or not. I stopped raising those breeds long ago as the more rare heritage breeds are just so much better in so many ways. Yorks are considered "heritage" but it seems that their wild ways have been bred out of them in too many barns and pens. 

But, having said all that, you just might do well with any cross if they can adapt well to pasture grazing and if you manage the pasture and the hogs right. There are lots of books out there to read but I prefer to read the research studies done by college agricultural science departments. Look around at your local schools to see if they have a grazing management program and ask to see their reports. Perhaps drive out and talk to the students and instructors. But be careful, lots of livestock management programs are just teaching how industrial ag does it.

Best of luck!

Brian


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Hey CK.. I don't know what part of SC, but if you are in the Upstate..http://asheville.craigslist.org/grd/1887336345.html
CL posting in my county right across the border in NC..


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## Critter Keeper (Nov 1, 2007)

Brian,

Thanks for that information. I have been doing a alot of reading and asking questions. My local Livestock and Forages Agent has been very helpful. He's into rotational grazing and the non industrial ag ways. Some folks are helpful and others look at you like you have lost your mind. That's ok though, I guess they have never considered raising animals different than the way they have always done it. We try our best to work with nature. I will just have to see how these do and maybe put a LB on the wish list.

Chickenista,

Thanks! I will check it out. Anyone have any idea why there aren't many out there in SC right now? I feel like i'm missing something. :shrug:

Cindy


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## Bat Farm (Apr 21, 2010)

CK I don't know where you are in SC, but there are some york/hamp crosses on Edisto listed on the Charleston CL for 35. I can only sigh over them for now as our fencing isn't ready.


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## Critter Keeper (Nov 1, 2007)

Bat Farm,

Thanks! I called about them and he has 7 females ready to go and a bunch of others that aren't weaned yet. Talked with DH and he said he would rather wait for breeding age. Just so happens that Livestock/Foraging agent friend found some close by that ARE breeding age, so I guess the search is over. Thanks everyone for your help!

Cindy


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