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Thank you for all the interest. The American Guinea Hogs
were sold on December 25, 2016 (literally!).
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Here is how this experience unfolded:
I first encountered these
unbelievably sweet-tempered, docile pigs near Klickitat, WA
on a commune in the mountains. A group of 6 pigs, mother,
father and 4 babies, were busily foraging for acorns beneath
the trees. I was surprised to note they were totally
oblivious to my dog and me as we approached them.
As we drew closer to one of the larger pigs, I asked the
lead communard whether the mother was going to get
protective of the babies. He replied by saying no, but the
pig we were approaching was the father. I could see no tusks
and he made no aggressive moves toward me or my dog as he
snuffled past about 4 feet away.
I asked how they contained the pigs to a certain area and
was informed that they generally stay in an area near their
water supply and only needed to be penned up at night.
Otherwise, they spend their days harvesting their own food
in the form of acorns, grasses and vegetation in the
undergrowth.
When I returned to Texas, I did more research on the breed
and found they only grew to 200 or 300 pounds and were once
the most popular pig for small landholders' pork and lard
production. They were often called “yard pigs” and were
known to control snakes and rodents around the homestead.
These last features made me think I may have the slightest
chance of persuading my wife to allow a couple of these
charming creatures to come live on our place.
We found a nice couple about 2 hours away who had several
Guinea Hogs, and we made arrangements to go and let my wife
see for herself if the claims I made for the beasts were
true. When we got to the swine yard, there were maybe 15
pigs - about 6 sows, 3 boars, and the rest divided between a
3 month old litter and a 6 month old litter.
The first affirmation was the size, even the oldest of the
adults was not so large as to appear particularly
threatening. Then the little ones came over and flopped on
their sides at out feet to have their tummies rubbed.
Probably more than anything, that scored major points with
the missus. Even the adult females would flop over to be
rubbed and scratched, and when the husband of the swine
keepers went into the pen with the 200 – 300 pound old
males, they lay on either side of him enjoyed a good
back-scratching. These were obviously not the man-eating
pigs from Deadwood, or the movie Hannibal, although their
black coloration did give them the appearance of feral hogs.
We spent about an hour out there at the farm with Debi
asking every question she could think of, but it seems the
piglets' early charm offensive had won the day, and I went
back to collect two 3 month old gilts (girls) the next week.
We dubbed them Rosa Porks and Sally Ham-ings under the
theory that, if you're going to name a meat animal,
something about that name should be an ever-present reminder
of their eventual purpose.
Although we've only had them a little over a month, they
have become a great source of enjoyment and amusement with
their piggish antics and their shameless flops for belly
rubs. They always make me smile – better than
anti-depressants, and no prescription required. Glenn Harper
UPDATE- 07/01/16
In mid-June we added a six month old AGH
boar. The girls really seem to like him...but not as much as
he obviously likes them! The girls have been coming into
season for a couple of months now, so we thought it was
time. Linc seems to think he's up to the task. We'll see in
three months, three weeks and three days. Please don't tell
him, but when the piglets are born, Linc is going to freezer
camp, specifically Camp Kenmore...
UPDATE - 10/17/16
Well, the 3/3/3 time has passed since we
witnessed Linc in action. Both girls are obviously bred, it
is just a waiting game now. Looks like our 'Christmas
Piglets' are going to be a little late. More updates coming
soon.
UPDATE - 10/31/16
Well, being the independent girl she is,
Rosa Porks had her piglets last night - all by herself. It
looks like we have three boys and one girl, the runt. All
are doing well, and Rosa appears to be a great mom. She
hasn't flopped on one yet!
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One Day Old |
Three Days Old at
the Breakfast Buffet |
Clyde after
piglet-sitting - all day - in the rain |
UPDATE - 12/11/16
Sally FINALLY had her piglets! Following
Rosa's lead, she did it at night without any human
intervention...so unlike the goats. She has three adorable
girls and is a very caring mom.
Oh, and Rosa's four are all floppers
already! Sweetest little batch of bacon bits!
BTW all three American Guinea Hogs are
registered with
AGHA.
Thank you for your
interest; we have sold all the American Guinea Hogs.
If you have any questions, please ask! |
