Kelly Klober is the author of Storey’s Guide to Raising Pigs and has raised purebred hogs on his Missouri farm for almost 40 years. He writes, speaks, and consults on many small-farm topics, including farmers’ markets, breed preservation, chicken health, and sustainable practices.

Preface

1 An Introduction to Raising Hogs
Hog-Farming Trends * Modern Pork Production * Hog Myths * Talkin' Hog * Thinking Hogs * Identify Your Markets

2 Breeds Tried and True
Choosing Breeding Stock for Small Farms * Modern Swine Breeds * Why Purebred Hogs Instead of Hybrids? * Choose a Breed Type to Match Your Farm * Pigs as Pets

3 Raising Hogs for the Family Table
The Facilities * Essential Equipment * Buying a Pig or Two * Feeding Hogs * Bringing Your Pigs Home * Swine Finishing

4 Home Butchering and Pork Processing
Slaughtering the Hog * Breaking Down the Carcass * Butchering * Putting Away the Pork * Preserving Pork * There’s Pork in This? — Pork Recipes

5 Fitting and Showing Hogs
Showing Market Hogs * Showing Breeding Stock

6 The Hog Business
Running a Manageable Operation * How Many Hogs for Success? * Know Your Market * A Shift in Feeder-Pig Production * Show Pigs * Farrow-to-Finish Production * Finishing Hogs * Breeding-Stock Production * Direct Marketing Your Own Pork * What about Organic? * Contented Hogs * Lean and Green

7 Preparing for Your Herd
The Drylot * The Pasture * Fencing Choices * The Range House * Farrowing Structures * Housing for Sows with Nursing Pigs

8 Selecting Breeding Stock
Shopping for Livestock * Performance Data * Gilt Selection * Boar Selection * Bidding Decisions

9 Managing Your Breeding Herd
Bringing in the Boar * Bringing in Gilts * Breeding Gilts * What's Best for the Boar * Gestation * Farrowing * The Pig at Birth * Caring for the Newborn Pig * Postfarrowing Sow Care * Care for Nursing Pigs * Weaning * Growout

10 Hog Health Care
A New Vulnerability * Breed Your Way Back to Vigor * A Health-Care Philosophy * Just the Basics * Veterinary Care * Injections * Parasite Control * Swine Ailments and Illnesses

11 Managing Your Hog Operation
Record Keeping * Marketing Hogs * The Hog Industry: Today and Tomorrow

12 Day-to-Day Life with Hogs
Movin’ Hogs the Easy Way * Managing Information * Do It Right the First Time * Take Time to Scratch Their Ears * Goals * Every Pig Is Precious * Buying at Auction * Hog-Farm Fashion * Hog People

Epilogue
Appendixes
Hog Anatomy
Reproductive Information
Record-Keeping Templates
Sample Calendar Year for the Diversified Small Producer
Resources
Glossary
Metric Conversion Charts
Index