Introduction to the New Hampshire 4-H Swine Project
The 4-H Swine project is an exciting, rewarding and educational experience for 4-H members. Raising pigs requires little room, expense, equipment and even time. A market hog project can be completed in as little as four months, where a swine breeding project may go on for a few years.
The words “swine”, “hogs”, and “pigs” refer to animals in the porcine family. The term swine is used to refer to the porcine family in a general way and the term pig is used to refer to a young animal. “Hog” is generally used when referring to an animal that is at or near market weight, which is 200-300 pounds. The term “barrow” refers to a neutered male and “gilt” means young female. A “sow” is a female pig which has had a litter of piglets (baby pigs). The term farrowing refers to the act of a sow giving birth.
The goal of the 4-H swine project is to encourage integrity, sportsmanship, cooperation and communication while learning about pigs. There are two general 4-H project areas a 4-H member can pursue, the market hog program started with feeder pigs, and the swine breeding program started with either a purebred or crossbred gilt or sow. A gilt may be selected from a feeder pig and later mated and cared for through gestation and farrowing for the next year’s program.
- Required Participant Age: 8-18 as of January 1 of the current year.
- Required Animal Age: A market hog program is started with feeder pigs(s) weighing between 40-50 pounds, approximately 4 months of age. A swine breeding program is started with a pig six months old and older.
- Recommended Animal Vaccinations: Rabies vaccination (recommended vet administered) 30 days and not more than one year prior to the date of the show. All swine must originate from non-quarantined, Brucellosis and Pseudorabies Free herds and be clinically free from all other infectious and communicable diseases. A pig must be at least 4 months old to go to a 4-H event or Fair.
- Required Animal Identification: Permanent Identification required. Tattoo or Ear Notch.
- Swine project animals must be entered into a 4-H member’s ZSuite account by June 1 (including a copy of the Animal Borrowing/ Sharing Form if applicable) to be eligible to show at NH 4-H shows.
- NH 4-H Animal Science Bonanza
- NH 4-H Agri-Science Quiz Bowl (Livestock Division)
- NH 4-H Livestock Auction
