Pig’s on pasture is possible. Our Duroc Pig’s are pastured from the time their weaned (approx. 6 week’s old), until there are taken to the processor. Their have been allot of 100% grass-fed Pig’s claims out there. And allot of those claims have been “called out” or dis-proven as not being 100% grass-fed simply due to the producers either lack of education or simple dishonesty. I remember when we first started looking into attempting pure unadulterated 100% grass-fed/pastured pigs. We went to some supposedly 100% grass-fed Pig producers web-sites and saw photo’s of the farmers feeding the pig’s grain on the ground from a bucket!
Our family had raised “pastured” pigs since settling in this country back in 1726. But they had always been supplemented with grain, especially in the long North-East PA winters when forages were not available to graze. But we were determined to find a way to limit the amount of grain required by the pigs to continue to grow and at the same time not jeopardize their health. We weren’t interested in finishing them as soon as possible to make a quick buck by the time they reached maturity (250/lbs. by 6 months of age), if it would take an extra month or 2 to reach that optimal weight we were comfortable with that as long as they stayed healthy. We than started looking at other breeds that may be better adjusted to living mostly on grass. It took awhile, but we found the Tamworth breed was best suited to survive strictly on a 100% forage diet. Due to what we found in the past we decided to do additional research on this breed to make sure the few success stories we found about the Tamworth breed were not just isolated incidents.
Coincidently my wife knew someone through a past work associate that owns Tamworth Pig’s and has been successful at raising them on a 100% grass-fed diet. I still wasn’t convinced. So we made an appointment to go see them. It was a few hours south of us, but it was still within our state so I knew we were due to experience close to the same climates throughout the year. My main concern wasn’t with could they survive on 100% grass pastures 6 months out of the year during the forages normal growing season, I was wondering how they stayed healthy during the winter on either stockpiled forages or stored dry hay.
The Tamworth is probably the purest of the modern breeds of swine, they have been improved more largely by selection and care than by the introduction of the blood of other breeds. Fortunately the class of men who had undertaken the improvement of some of the other breeds, by sacrificing almost everything to an aptitude to fatten, did not undertake the Tamworth; hence the preservation of the length and prolificacy of the breed. For a number of years previous to 1870 the breed received comparatively little attention. About that time the bacon curers opened a campaign against the then fashionable short, fat and heavy shouldered pigs, which they found quite unsuitable for the production of streaked side meat for which the demand was constantly increasing. The Tamworth then came into prominence as an improver of some of the other breeds, in which capacity it was a decided success owing to its long established habit of converting it’s food into lean meat. Tamworth pigs are especially hardy and tolerate our harsh winters quite well. They are known for their vigorous rooting ability and we are using them to reclaim brushland for use as pasture and hay production. The Tamworth originated in Ireland where they were called “The Irish Grazer”. About the year 1812 it is said that Sir Robert Peel, being impressed with the characteristics of them, imported some of them and started to breed them on his estate at Tamworth, England. They have been bred quite extensively ever since they were imported into that country.
Unfortunately the last paragraph you read was about all the information I could find on-line about the Tamworth Breed. But have no fear if your interested in additional information about these potentially promising pastured pig’s, I will continue my quest to find out if it is truly possible to raise 100% grass-fed pig’s! Tamworth or otherwise. If you or someone you know has experience with the Tamworth breed or another breed of purely pastured pig’s please share your experiences with all of us. Thanks in advance and stay tuned for additional information as it becomes available.
