Raising a couple of pigs for the freezer is one of the most rewarding things you can do on a smallholding. Home-reared pork tastes nothing like the supermarket version, and you know exactly how the animal lived. But pigs are not chickens — they are large, clever, strong and legally regulated. Get the groundwork right before the weaners arrive and the whole thing runs smoothly.

Know the Rules Before You Buy

In the UK, keeping pigs comes with paperwork that catches out first-timers. You need a County Parish Holding (CPH) number for the land where the pigs will live, and you must register with the Animal and Plant Health Agency as a pig keeper. You will be given a herd mark, which is used to identify your animals on movement documents.

Every movement of a pig — including bringing weaners onto your holding and sending finished pigs to the abattoir — must be recorded and reported through the relevant movement system for your nation. Pigs also carry a standstill rule: after pigs arrive, you generally cannot move other pigs off the holding for 20 days in England. Check the current rules for your part of the UK, because they differ.

One absolute red line: you must never feed kitchen scraps or catering waste to pigs. The swill feeding ban exists to keep devastating diseases out of the national herd. Pig feed must be commercial compound feed, or certain approved plant-based feeds.

Space, Shelter and Fencing

Pigs need company, so plan for at least two. They are highly social and a lone pig is a stressed pig. Two weaners will finish at a similar time, and you can split the meat with a friend or fill the freezer properly.

• Space: allow roughly 100 square metres per pig outdoors as a minimum, and considerably more if you want the ground to recover. Pigs poach wet ground fast.
• Shelter: a pig ark, field shelter or converted shed with deep straw bedding. Pigs are surprisingly hardy but hate draughts and wet, cold lying areas.
• Wallows: in summer, a shaded wallow or a sprinkler helps them cool down, since pigs cannot sweat effectively.
• Fencing: pig netting plus at least one strand of electric wire at nose height is the reliable combination. Pigs will root under, push through and lean on anything flimsy. Electric fencing works well, but train them to it properly for the first few days.

If you can, set up two paddocks and rotate. It reduces worm burdens and lets the grass recover.

Feeding and Water

Weaners usually arrive at eight to ten weeks old, weighing around 20–25 kg. They will finish at roughly 80–100 kg liveweight, which takes about 20–24 weeks. Expect a growing pig to eat around 2–2.5 kg of compound feed a day, split into two feeds, rising as they grow. Over the whole period, budget roughly 250–300 kg of feed per pig.

Use a proper pig nut or grower ration rather than trying to cobble together a diet. Pigs need a balanced supply of protein, energy and minerals, and deficiencies show up quickly in poor growth and dull coats. Add a handful of fruit and vegetable trimmings from your own garden if you like — but nothing that has passed through a kitchen.

Water matters more than many people realise. A growing pig can drink 6–10 litres a day in warm weather. Provide a proper drinker or a heavy trough that cannot be tipped, and check it daily.

Daily Routine and Welfare

Pigs reward routine. Feed at the same times each day, and you will find them waiting and easy to handle. Spend a few minutes simply watching them — appetite, movement, breathing, and the state of their skin and droppings tell you almost everything.

• Worming: typically every three to four months, using an in-feed wormer or a pour-on product. Ask your vet for a suitable schedule.
• Bedding: top up straw regularly and muck out thoroughly between batches.
• Handling: handle them calmly from day one. A pig that will come to a bucket is a pig that loads easily on the day it matters.
• Health: watch for coughing, scouring, lameness or sudden loss of appetite. Call your vet early rather than waiting.

Planning the Abattoir and the Freezer

Book your abattoir slot weeks or even months ahead, especially in autumn when everyone else is finishing pigs. Small abattoirs are busy and spaced-out bookings are common.

At around 80–90 kg liveweight, pigs yield roughly 70–75% of that as carcass weight. A 85 kg pig gives you somewhere near 60 kg of pork — a serious amount of meat. Ask the butcher to hang the carcass for around a week for better flavour and texture, and discuss your cutting list in advance: joints, chops, belly, sausages, bacon and mince all come from decisions you make beforehand.

Sort out transport that meets welfare rules, and have a plan for the meat on the day — a large chest freezer, or arrangements to share with family and friends. Done well, two pigs will fill a freezer for a year and teach you more about farming than any book.