Instructions
Select stock from a reputable breeder of red hogs only to avoid getting any hogs that may be cross-bred with other breeds. Choose sows for mating that are at least 10 months old. The males you choose from breeding should be at least months old. Males that age can breed with proximately 12 sows. If you are going to have a larger number of females, you will want an older male.
Keep your female pigs in the same pen as the male during their fertile time until pregnancy is achieved. You can tell the fertile period by inspecting the vulva of the sow, which will appear swollen. Once the hogs have mated, you can move the females to a separate area. It is usually a good idea to keep them together at least a few days to make sure pregnancy has been achieved. Be sure to treat the sow for worms and lice before the piglets are born, to prevent the newborns from being infected. You can purchase treatment safe for pregnant hogs at your local farming supply store.
Move each female to a separate birthing pen when her time approaches. The normal gestation period for a hog is 112 days. Keep the pen clean and sanitary to prevent any infection or disease. You can even gently wash the sow with warm, soapy water before the piglets are born. Red hogs, just like all other breeds, produce large litters and can have as many as 12 or 15 piglets at a time.
How to Breed Red Hogs
There are several breeds of hogs in the world today, and the type known as "red hogs" refers to the Duroc hog. These pigs vary in shades from a light golden, almost yellow color to a very dark red that almost looks mahogany. They are thought to have originated from the Guinea coast of Africa, and were first brought to the United States in 1837 by Henry Clay, who brought four red shoats to his farm in Kentucky. Today, the red hogs are successfully bred all over the U.S.