Retirement sale!
This web site is for sale. It will be sold during January, 2012.
Contact us at the email address at the bottom of the page for information. Thank you.
We are getting older and want to spend more time with the grandkids and other family members,
so we need to reduce the amount of time we are spending with farm chores. Therefore we have sold our
herd to other breeders. Breeders can be found at the American Guinea Hog Association, by typing www.guineahogs.org
into your browser or use the link at the end of this page.
About Guinea hogs:
Do you have a petting zoo? The size and gentle disposition make them great for petting zoos. The babies stay cute and small longer than commercial hogs. We have one customer who trains them for shows for a zoo.
HOW CAN YOU GET HOGS?
They can be shipped by air after about 6 weeks old, if it is not too cold or too hot, but we prefer that they be picked
up at the farm--with advance notice only. We are unable to have guests just drop by.
For more information on shipping, please click here.
Guniea hogs are a small breed of hogs, much smaller than standard hogs. They get to about 150-250 pounds at maturity, a perfect size for the small farm, hobby farm or homestead.
Guinea hogs are a very rare breed of pig which are in danger of becoming extinct. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy classifies them as critical in their 2005 Conservation Priority list. Please help preserve this old breed by raising a few on your own farm. We are sure you will enjoy them.
They were bred in the United States for families who wanted a reasonable amount of meat instead of having to cope with way too much from a full-sized production breed. They are approximately the size of a VERY large dog, but on much shorter legs. They have a good disposition. We have read that they were bred to run around the farm yard so they could kill snakes. Most of the pigs are solid black, but some have a little reddish-tinted hair and some have a little white hair. We have seen one pig with a few white hairs slowly turn all greyish white by a year of age. There are historical references to the red and gray colors. Occasionally one will be born with white feet.
If you have a small farm, homestead or hobby farm and would like to be able to raise your own meat, so you know what goes into it, or want to have pastured pork because pastured animals have been shown to have better nutritional value than grain fed meat, then Guinea hogs might be a good choice for you. Since the hogs do not grow to a huge size, you can raise just the right number of pigs for your family. With body weight about 50-100 pounds at butchering, they are a good size for a family. (Meat quantities will be less of course.)
If you have a small farm, homestead or hobby farm and would like to be able to raise your own meat, so you know what goes into your family's food. Maybe you want to have pastured pork because pastured animals have been shown to have better nutritional value than grain fed meat. If so, then Guinea hogs might be a good choice for you. The Union of Concerned Scientists performed a meta-analysis of 25 studies of pasture-fed cattle. (This included virtually every study available.) Both meat and milk from pasture-fed cattle were higher in omega-3 fatty acids, the fats that are associated with lower risk of heart disease. You can read the full report online: UCS Grass-fed beef and milk There is every reason to expect that the results would be similar if pasture-fed pork were studied.
Commercial breeds of hogs can be a lot for a small farmer or homesteader to handle, as the large animals produce more meat than the average family needs. You can have it stored in a meat locker, but that is extra money you do not need to spend. Since the hogs do not grow to a huge size, you can raise just the right number of pigs for your family.
Shipping by air: The babies (after weaning) can be sent by air in a standard dog crate. Most airlines will allow two weanlings in a crate, so you can order a pair to breed and save by shipping them together if you order when they are still small enough. The weather is also a factor, so the best way to order is early, so we can plan ahead for a day with good weather.
Pick them up: At many farms, you are welcome to come to the farm to pick your baby pigs up. They can go in your car or van in a dog crate or kennel. It is probably best to have a good tarp under the kennel. Email the breeder to make arrangements first.
Shipping by truck: We know someone who hauls livestock by truck. He could be heading to your state in the near future.
Last update Oct. 10, 2011