Buying piglets at 5 weeks old

Zachary Hoyt · Apr 10, 2012

I reserved two piglets from a farmer we have dealt with before, to be picked up in April. I called today to find out when they will be ready to pick up and when I asked about the age he told me they will be 5 weeks old when he wants them picked up on the 21st. He says he weans them at four weeks and gives them iron shots and makes sure they are eating well and then sends them out at 5 weeks. We have always bought piglets in the 6-8 week old range and I am wondering if 5 weeks old is younger than would be advisable to get them. Any advice will be much appreciated.
Zach

James Williams · Apr 10, 2012

Zack,Ive seen it done,but I wouldnt sell them that young to anyone,Its all about the money

jimmy

fixerupper · Apr 10, 2012

In this neck of the woods they're weaned and shipped out at 2-3 weeks old and sent to a nursery to be grown to 40 lbs. Then they're sent to a fattening facility.

This wasn't done back in the day when I raised hogs so I'm not up on what to feed them or what to give shots for. I do know they need to be kept out of a draft and the temp needs to be in the 85 degree range at first. A heat lamp will do the job. Scours will be your biggest enemy but if they are DRY, with the emphasis on DRY and warm they should be OK. Jim

johnwayne360 · Apr 10, 2012

at 5 weeks, piglets will need a better quality starter feed. Can get expensive, so make sure you figure it in the budget

Jim in Ma. · Apr 10, 2012

Just keep them warm and dry. They will be fine.

Ron A Anderson · Apr 10, 2012

You shouldn't have any problems. He weans at 4 weeks so they will be eating good a week later and if something is wrong you will see it.
Feed is much better now days then even 10 years ago.
Key is keep them warm and dry.

Ultradog MN · Apr 10, 2012

I can't say the right age to pick up the piglets.
But I do remember my grand dad rented a field to a cousin and a part of the rent was our cousin had to deliver a piglet and a fifth of whiskey every spring.
Grandpa raised a pig every year as far back as I can remember.
He raised the fifth a little more often.

kyplowboy · Apr 11, 2012

Back in Feb. I went with a buddy of mine to an Amish auction several counties away. They 14 pigs that were 4 weeks old, had been pulled off the sow that morn'n. Buddy and I were try'n to figure out how many we could get in the tool boxes on his truck if the price was right. They sold from $35 to $50 a head. We didn't get any.

With shots, good feed, and a warm dry place I'd think they'd be fine.

Dave

Zachary Hoyt · Apr 11, 2012

Thank you all very much. I will build a small pen inside a building for their first few weeks here and then put them in the outdoor movable pen when they have grown a little.
Zach

tjdub · Apr 11, 2012

I've always bought them older and weaned in the past too, but last time I bought pigs I got 5 week-old ones. They weren't weaned yet, and the guy I bought them from castrated the boar pigs a few days before I picked them up. I bought 12 of them and every single one survived and ended up being the nicest set of hogs I've ever had on my place. I started them off on a complete-ration medicated swine feed sold in 50lb bags (feed was kind of expensive, which is why the wean pigs were not). I re-sold half of them as feeder pigs when they hit about 50lbs. I plan on doing the same thing again.

Buying piglets at 5 weeks old

Zachary Hoyt

Well-known Member

James Williams

Well-known Member

fixerupper

Well-known Member

johnwayne360

Member

Jim in Ma.

Well-known Member

Ron A Anderson

Member

Ultradog MN

Well-known Member

kyplowboy

Well-known Member

Zachary Hoyt

Well-known Member

tjdub

Member

Similar threads