Common sense and good management are the keys to getting your swine project off to the right start.
Make sure you have clean, dry quarters for your hog and plenty of clean, fresh water for your animal to drink. It is suggested that you hand feed your pigs for the first week to ten days to gain an idea of how much your pigs are eating. This will also give you a good idea of how well your pigs are feeling as they become accustomed to their new surroundings. A good rule of thumb is to estimate that a pig will eat 2 to 2.5 percent of its body weight during the first two weeks.
Check your pigs two to three times per day, watch stool condition and look for coughing and running noses during the first two weeks. If you plan to purchase your pigs from a producer, investigate the type of worming program the pigs are on. Eliminating parasites will allow your pigs to maximize their genetic potential for muscle development and daily gain. A good management practice, therefore, would be to worm your pigs during the first two weeks of ownership.
Once you get past the first two weeks of acclimatization, you can start feeding your pigs on a self feeder or you may still hand feed your pigs. But, basically you need to make sure that your pig has access to clean, dry feed and clean, fresh water at all times.
Continue to check your pigs two to three times per day to make sure that everything is in good working order. While checking on your animals, your are also allowing the animals to become accustomed to you, your voice and your actions. This will make the process of preparing them for show that much easier.
