About our pigs
Our pigs are intelligent and social animals that play an important role in our sustainable farming operation. We have one boar named Neo, along with sows and gilts that help teach visitors about farm life and ethical animal husbandry.
Pigs are famous for loving to roll in the mud! While it looks like a lot of fun for them, it serves a purpose. They don't have sweat glands, so the mud helps keep them cool!
Learn about pigs
Pig terminology
Boar: Intact male (we have one named Neo)
Hog: Castrated male
Sow: Female pig that has had at least 1 litter
Gilt: Female pig that has not had piglets
Neo the boar
The farm has one boar named Neo. Farmers castrate male pigs to eliminate "Boar Taint" in the meat that can be tasted and smelled, but breeding boars like Neo remain intact.
Pregnancy and birth
A female pig is pregnant for 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days. They usually have their piglets in the middle of the night! We monitor them during birthing in case of complications.
Large litters
There are typically 10 to 15 piglets per litter. We carefully watch to prevent accidents like piglets getting stuck or accidentally squished by their mothers.
Emma's house pig story
In 2020, one piglet was accidentally squished and our daughter Emma brought her inside and raised her as a house pig. Emma became a "grandma" at age 12 when her pig had her first litter!
Mud for cooling
Pigs roll in mud because they don't have sweat glands! The mud helps keep them cool. While it looks like fun, it serves an important purpose for temperature regulation.
Fast growth
Pigs grow very fast and are typically 250-300 pounds by the time they are about a year old. This rapid growth makes them efficient livestock.
Ethical farming
When raising animals for meat, Andelin Farm prides itself on sustainable, healthy and ethical practices. We use Wolf Pack Meats, a USDA certified processing plant.
Interested in raising pigs?
The Andelin Family Farm harvests hogs at about a year old and sells pork by the cut. We also have piglets available for purchase so people can raise them to harvest.
Email about piglets