Homestead Hogs: Small-scale Pork Redefined

Did you know that at Maker's Long Acres, we've spent nearly a decade developing pint-sized pork powerhouses? Our homestead-sized pigs are the perfect option for small homesteads and holdings, providing high-quality and flavorful meat while requiring less space and feed than larger breeds.

Our Homestead Hogs  are the result of careful selective breeding, incorporating rare breeds such as the Mangalitsa and Chinese Meishan into our breeding stock. We knew we wanted to create a pig that was smaller and more efficient in terms of feed conversion, while still producing high-quality meat. This was not an easy feat, as we encountered several challenges along the way.

For example, we tried several breeds, including the Kune Kune, a traditional smaller butcher pig. However, we found that not all of them were suitable for our goals. The Kune Kune, for instance, were overly fatty, had terrible feed conversion ratios, and giant bones, which made them less desirable in terms of yield. We basically were paying the exact same amount in feed and butchering costs as we did for a large hog, but we got only a quarter of the meat! Yes 75% reduction in yield on the Kune Kune for the exact same dollar amount! No thanks! And the American Guinea Hogs, while the meat was flavorful it was just tough, chew chew, chewy kind of tough. They were also a more "high strung" pig and while docile in many aspects small things like days of thunderstorms could severely set back their average daily gains-and well, that effects the bottom line!  The smaller breeds were also just as destructive as large pigs and doing the same amount of digging, despite the claims they don't root. That's ludicrous. All pigs root, regardless of breed. Just like all dogs bark, some just bark less. 

To overcome these obstacles, we had to put our decades of experience to work and incorporate the best genetics from around the world. It required finding breeders who were willing to sell their stock, many of them imported from other countries and nearly impossible at the time to find here in the US, and then carefully selecting genetics to ensure that our Homestead Hogs would be reproducible. And not always would it pay off and it seemed at times we ended up with the worst of the traits all in one hog-not the best traits! 

But our hard work has paid off. Our homestead-sized pigs typically weigh in at around 100-150 pounds at about nine months maturity, making them easier to manage for small homesteads while still providing a substantial amount of meat. Plus, their smaller size means they require less feed overall, making them more cost-effective to raise and much less destructive.

But don't let their size fool you - our Homestead Hogs  are just as delicious as their larger counterparts. Those carefully selected genetics  ensured that these pigs produce well-marbled meat that is both flavorful and tender. In fact, the hog we used for  a recent slaughter class was one of our Homestead Hogs, and the yield was incredible - over 60 pounds of meat from a 120-pound hog-and that was with one half of that pig being completely boneless! Had it been traditionally cut the yield would have been even higher. The best part? The bacon weight and size was nearly identical to that of a 250-300 pound traditional hog!

We think everyone should have access to delicious, sustainably-raised pork. Our homestead-sized pigs are the perfect option for those with limited space and resources, providing high-quality meat with less waste and a smaller carbon footprint.

If you're thinking of raising pigs or you're ready to jump in to growing your own, let us know! We would be happy to come alongside you and help you on your own personal food journey!