Happy Pigs Taste Better: A Complete Guide to Organic and Humane Pasture-Based Pork Production

Description

What does it take to raise a happy pig? Armed with experience from running the largest organic hog operation in Maine, author Alice Percy is well equipped to answer this question. Pigs are much closer to their cousin, the wild boar, than other domesticated animals. Ethically managing pigs requires an understanding of their natural mannerisms, including factors such as social grouping, mating, territory, housing, and, of course, their love of wallowing in the mud. In Happy Pigs Taste Better Percy offers a comprehensive look at raising organic, pasture-fed, gourmet meat. She advises readers on pasturing and feeding hogs organically, as well as managing the breeding herd and administering effective natural healthcare. In addition, she provides an overview of marketing and distribution for those looking to turn their hog farming operation into a lucrative business. This book is the first of its kind to offer an in-depth approach to organic, high-welfare commercial production, including information on: – Designing a hog business from the ground up – Housing pigs, including benefits and drawbacks of various housing systems – Evaluating the nutritional content of common organic feedstuffs – Butchering humanely and economically – Recordkeeping, with templates for financial tracking Whether you’re looking to convert a conventional operation to organic, grow your backyard hog operation into a viable business, or start from scratch, this comprehensive book has got you covered, nose to tail. Review: Great Resource! - So happy to have this book for our first year of raising pigs! It contains so much important info & is a wonderful, well-written resource for “Newbies” like us! ❤️ Review: I felt like the author was trying to talk me out of pasturing - The book's title seems geared toward a certain reader, but author seems anti-pasturing, anti-natural livestock keeping. Repeatedly while reading the book, I felt the author was trying to talk me out of keeping swine on pasture. Author is pro-vaccine, and makes condescending remarks about people who don't agree with her point of view. If you follow the author's suggestions, you will be keeping them on concrete, feeding them gmo corn and soy, and vaccinating the sh1t out of them!! The whole point of pasturing is to not stuff them full of gmo corn and soy (omega 6 fatty acids)--which is inflammatory and detrimental to health. Also, author no longer works in the industry and only did so for 10 years.