How to Make a Show Hog Gain

Show hogs, whether you're raising them to fulfill the requirements of a youth project or you're trying to win a prize for them at the fair, are raised similarly to hogs in the hog industry. If you want to try to put some weight on your hog, the best thing you can do is provide healthy, fresh feed and try to encourage your pig to eat as often as possible. Don't force it though, and make sure that the pig still gets exercise -- otherwise you'll have an imbalance between all of the weight gain and the muscle tone you need for the show hog to look good at the show.

Things You'll Need

  • Protein additive
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Instructions

    • 1

      Provide your hog free access to feed and clean water. After the first week or so of ownership, leave fresh feed in the trough and let your hog eat whenever it wants to. You can encourage it to eat, leading it to the feed trough after exercise, or keeping it in the vicinity of food. This means that the hog will make a habit of eating whenever it's hungry.

    • 2

      Only feed your hog three to four times per day. This will allow for quick weight gain, and should be started a month to three weeks before showing if the hog hasn't reached the target weight you've set. Place a certain amount of feed in the trough and see how much the hog will eat. Adjust the amount based on what's consumed, and then give this amount to the hog three to four times per day, beginning in the early day and ending off with a dinner feeding, with regular intervals in between.

    • 3

      Top dress the feed you give the hog. Top dressing can be a sprinkling of half a pound of whey, plasma protein or some other form of assisted weight gainer. This should be distributed evenly over the top of the feed, and it will enhance flavor as well as helping the hog gain more weight.