# How long do you keep your breeding sows?



## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

Mine are about 2 1/2 years old now and both are doing fine raising pigs. As I plan for the future of our hog endeavor, I get to thinking about when to expect that these two sows will no longer be useful for breeding. One is a pet and will live out her life at our place, the other is a great sow but not a pet. When should I expect to send her along? And where do I take her when I do?


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

When they fail to raise two healthy litters per year or have health problems requiring more than an occasional treatment, they would be replaced on our farm.
We would generally send a cull sow to butcher and make sausage out of the works


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

Up North said:


> When they fail to raise two healthy litters per year or have health problems requiring more than an occasional treatment, they would be replaced on our farm.
> We would generally send a cull sow to butcher and make sausage out of the works


Up North,
Have you had any problems with an older sow producing less than good tasting sausage? What's the oldest sow you've slaughtered? I'm concerned that the meat might be gamey or otherwise unpalatable....


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

Haven't had problems yet. The beauty of sausage is the seasonings set the flavor. 
If that don't work, there's always curry, LOL.


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## Earthbound (Feb 3, 2003)

My friends sow just died last week at 18yrs old. Farrowed until she was 15. She let her live out her days, the sow earned it.
corry


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## uncle Will in In. (May 11, 2002)

If sows aren't overfed when they aren't nursing pigs, they mostly are OK for several years. The problem that is very common is feeding to much and getting sows that weigh over 500 lbs. When most sows get that fat, they will flop down with her pigs and often be on top of one. A thin sow usualy jumps up when a pig squeals but fat sows to often wind up killing the pig. It's not a bad thing if a sow looks thin when her pigs are weaned.


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

uncle Will in In. said:


> If sows aren't overfed when they aren't nursing pigs, they mostly are OK for several years. The problem that is very common is feeding to much and getting sows that weigh over 500 lbs. When most sows get that fat, they will flop down with her pigs and often be on top of one. A thin sow usualy jumps up when a pig squeals but fat sows to often wind up killing the pig. It's not a bad thing if a sow looks thin when her pigs are weaned.


Well then, I guess I'm doing alright with my management practices. My sow milked really heavy with this last batch of pigs and as a result looked pretty thin when we weaned the pigs. She's slowly picking up weight again, I could push it and fatten her up to breed her back right away, but that's not my style of pig farming. I'll put a few pounds back on her slowly and then rebreed her as the summer heat fades. I don't like to have my sows heavy with pigs through the hot and humid Texas summers.


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