When should you be breeding livestock on your homestead?

Breeding for Marketing

Marketing is probably the biggest factor. Money talks and let’s face it, that’s often why we are farming. As pig farmers we need to meet 3 different markets that all require late summer or fall breeding and unfortunately, winter farrowing.

Our markets include fair piglets for 4-H and FFA kids who all need their pigs born approximately December though March depending on their fair dates. Market standard for these pigs is to weigh usually between 220 and 300 lbs at their fair or they cannot sell at auction. So that requires me, as a breeder, to make sure I am selling fast growing pigs that will be the required weight at 6-9 months old.

The next market we meet is spring feeders. These sows will get bred in late fall or early winter so that when they farrow, they are not taking up pens that my show piglets need. These are piglets that local families buy to feed for the summer and butcher in the fall to fill their freezers. Many choose to do this because it is cheaper than buying the pork retail and the pigs grow very fast generally because they are not using their energy to stay warm. We also supply fall piglets because some people like to raise the piglets over the winter because they produce a leaner meat. This particular breeding is usually scheduled in the spring after my fair piglet sows bounce back from weaning.

My third market currently is whole hogs and retail cuts. I do breed these in the fall as well, but I aim for three rotating breedings of these pigs throughout the year to always have fresh product and appropriate timing to work with our butcher.