Showing Pigs: How to Pick, Feed, Weigh and Show a Market Hog

Showing pigs comes down to four jobs: picking a pig that will hit your fair’s weight window on weigh-in day, feeding it to that weight at a steady rate of gain, training it to walk calmly in front of you with a show stick and a brush, and keeping it healthy and inside the fair’s rules. Most first-time exhibitors show a market hog (a barrow or gilt judged as a meat animal) through 4-H, FFA or a county fair, and the project usually runs about four to five months from purchase to show day.

Weight is the thread through all of it. Extension guides put a show pig’s average daily gain at roughly 1.5 to 2 pounds, and the only way to know whether yours is on pace is to weigh it often. If you do not have a scale, the free Creatures pig weight calculator turns a heart girth and body length into an estimate with no account needed. If your club asks for a record book, our guide to 4-H livestock record books explains what goes in it.

How pig shows work

Before you buy a pig, get your fair’s rule book and premium list and read the swine section. It sets almost everything else.

Market classes judge pigs as meat animals: muscle, leanness, soundness and balance. At most youth shows pigs are weighed on arrival and split into weight classes, so a pig competes against others of similar weight, and the fair sets a minimum and often a maximum weight. Pigs outside the range may be unable to show or sell, which is why the whole project is planned backward from weigh-in.

Breeding classes judge gilts on their potential as sows. Purebred classes add rules: Kansas State University’s youth swine guide reminds exhibitors that some shows take only barrows or only gilts, and that a pig shown in a breed class must meet that breed’s classification rules and may need registration papers. The guide’s 2013 summary of National Swine Registry rules, for example, required breeds such as the Duroc, Hampshire and American Yorkshire to be stress negative; check the current rules with the registry and your show.

Showmanship judges you, not the pig: how well you drive and present it and how aware you are of the judge. Judges may also ask questions about your project, such as your pig’s weight, what it eats and what its feed costs.

Then there are the deadlines: an ownership or identification date (the Jefferson County, Colorado, 4-H fair, for example, uses May 1 for an August fair), entry forms, a health certificate window and quality assurance training. Our step-by-step guide to entering livestock at a county fair covers the logistics, and the 4-H and FFA livestock projects guide explains how the two programs differ.

Picking a show pig

Match the pig’s age to your show date

K-State’s guide suggests pigs born in January or early February for July county fairs, early to mid February for August fairs, and later-born pigs for fall state shows. Colorado State University Extension’s Jefferson County market hog guide notes that most of its fair’s market hogs are born between December and February and bought in March or April.

Work out the purchase weight

The extension guides cited here all use the same arithmetic: days on feed times expected daily gain equals pounds to gain, and target weight minus pounds to gain equals the weight the pig should be when you buy it. Take Colorado State’s worked example: from March 24 to an August 1 weigh-in is 130 days; at 1.75 pounds a day that is 227.5 pounds of gain, so for a 270-pound target you want a pig of about 42.5 pounds at purchase.

Gain rates differ by guide and by pig. Colorado State gives 1.5 to 2.0 pounds a day, University of Tennessee Extension’s market hog project guide gives 1.5 to 1.9 with 1.7 as average, and Utah State’s project pig planner notes that barrows usually eat more and grow slightly faster than gilts. Use the middle of the range to plan, then let your own weights correct it.

What to look for in the pig

K-State’s checklist is a good order of priority:

• Muscle: shape down the top, ham expression, thickness through the shoulder and width at the base (how wide it stands).
• Leanness: clean-topped, a clean neck and jowl, not wasteful through the middle.
• Structure: even toe size, correct slope through the front knee, a correct hock set, no swollen joints, and loose hips and shoulders so the pig walks freely.

Utah State adds that pigs heavier than average for their age tend to grow faster and more efficiently, so plan for that if you buy a big pig. Ask the breeder what feed the pig is on, what vaccinations and dewormer it has had and when, and write it down; buy a bag or two of the breeder’s feed so the change to yours is gradual. If you raise a heritage breed such as the Red Wattle, check whether your show has a class for it before you plan on showing one. Price context is in our guide to how much a pig costs.

Feeding to a target weight

Feed is where the plan meets the pig. Treat these numbers as a starting frame, and ask your 4-H leader, FFA advisor or feed supplier about your own ration.

Protein steps down as the pig grows. University of Arizona Extension’s guide to growing a show swine to market weight gives a starter ration of about 21 percent protein from 25 to 100 pounds, a grower around 20 percent from 100 to 200, and a finisher around 18 percent above 200, with lysine falling from about 1.15 to 0.75 percent. The Colorado State guide’s example ration uses 18 percent protein from 100 to 150 pounds and 16 percent from 150 to finish.

Know how much your pig eats. Utah State puts a market hog’s intake at 2.5 to 5 percent of body weight a day, with smaller pigs eating more for their size, and about 3.3 pounds of feed per pound of gain. Arizona’s rule of thumb is about 3.5. Weighing feed with a kitchen scale at first, as Colorado State suggests, makes those numbers real.

Change feed slowly. Arizona recommends blending a new feed in over several days, from a quarter new feed up to all new feed, to avoid digestive upsets.

Hand-feeding or self-feeding. A self-feeder lets the pig eat when it wants; hand-feeding twice a day lets you control intake. A common middle path, described in the Colorado State guide: self-feed until about 100 to 150 pounds, then hand-feed to the show.

Slowing a pig that is gaining too fast. Utah State suggests more exercise, replacing part of the grain with whole oats or alfalfa pellets, or moving from a self-feeder to hand-feeding at no less than 2.5 to 3 percent of body weight. Arizona suggests bulkier, lower-energy ingredients such as oats, beet pulp or soybean hulls alongside the normal ration. K-State is blunt on one point: never restrict water to cut weight.

Water, shade and company. Utah State calls fresh, clean, cool water the most important part of the ration, because a thirsty pig will not eat. Pigs cannot sweat, sunburn easily and eat less in the heat, so give shade, ventilation and a cool place to rest. Colorado State notes that pigs grow better with another pig in the pen or at least fence-line contact, while Arizona suggests separate pens or feeders when pigs need different rations, so they do not fight over feed. K-State recommends at least 16 square feet per pig with a dry place to lie at all times.

Weighing and tracking rate of gain

Weigh often. Utah State recommends every two weeks, or at least twice between purchase and the fair; Arizona’s project leaders weigh weekly toward the end, and K-State says to weigh at the same time each time, before or after feeding. Average daily gain is the weight change divided by the days between weighings.

No scale? Utah State gives a tape method: measure heart girth just behind the front legs and body length from between the ears to the base of the tail, in inches, then multiply girth by girth by length and divide by 400, adding 7 pounds if the result is under 150. K-State suggests taking three girth measurements and averaging them, with the pig standing at the feed pan. The pig weight calculator does the arithmetic from the same two measurements; it is an estimate that can be off by 5 to 10 percent, so check against a scale (many fairgrounds have one) in the last few weeks, when a few pounds decide whether the pig makes weight. How the estimate works is in estimating animal weight with the weight calculator.

Daily handling: driving with a stick and brush

Pigs are not shown on a halter. You drive them, steering from beside and behind with a show stick, cane or whip, and that takes weeks of practice at home.

Earn trust first. K-State’s showmanship guidance says the first 30 days with a new pig are for becoming friends: feed it, wash it, brush it and clean its pen so it learns to trust you. The Colorado State guide suggests letting a new pig settle for a week to ten days before you start walking it.

Use light taps, in the right places. Colorado State describes the “go button” on the pig’s side between the shoulder and the flank: a gentle tap there asks the pig to walk on at a steady pace. To turn, tap lightly on the side of the face opposite the way you want to go; a tap under the jaw lifts the head. Never hit a pig on the head or the rear end to make it walk, and never take frustration out on it. Tennessee’s guide adds that the stick should stay level with the pig’s back and not be overused.

Exercise like you will show. K-State suggests routine exercise once a pig reaches about 150 pounds, starting with 10 to 15 minutes once or twice a week, in the cool part of the day. Drive the pig the way you would in the ring, set up an obstacle course for practice, and never chase, yell at or scare it. Stop if the pig is sick, lame or hot.

Wash and brush. K-State recommends a weekly wash with mild soap, then brushing from front to back until the hair is nearly dry, and a light coat of oil applied only in the evening, since an oiled pig gets hot in the sun. Brushing is also one of the best ways to calm a pig before a show. If you clip, do it at home before you leave; K-State warns that clipping at the show adds stress.

In the ring. K-State and Tennessee agree on the basics: walk in calmly, keep the pig moving 10 to 15 feet from the judge, stay out of corners and away from groups of pigs, keep one eye on the pig and one on the judge, and never stand between the pig and the judge. For the individual look, drive the pig toward the judge for a front view, past for a side view, then away so the judge sees its width from behind, as Colorado State describes. K-State’s dress code is neat jeans, boots, a belt and a button-up shirt, with a brush in your pocket in case the pig gets dirty. If you want to understand what the judge is doing, our livestock judging primer explains how evaluation works.

Health, drug withdrawal and fair rules

Quality assurance training. Many fairs require youth exhibitors to complete Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) training, which covers food safety, animal well-being and medication use. Arizona Extension recommends doing it early in the project.

Withdrawal times. A market hog is a food animal. Any vaccine, medicine or medicated feed may carry a withdrawal period that has to be over before the pig is sold or harvested. Utah State points out that some prepared rations, especially starter rations, contain low levels of medication with their own withdrawal periods. Get the period from the label or your veterinarian, write down the date it ends, and follow your fair’s drug-use and residue rules to the letter. This guide gives no doses or treatment plans: your veterinarian and the product label set those.

Health papers and ID. Fairs set their own identification (ear notch, ear tag or both) and health certificate requirements, and the timing can be strict; Tennessee’s state show, for example, asks for a certificate from a veterinarian within 90 days of the show. Our guide to livestock health certificates explains how a certificate of veterinary inspection works. Check your own fair’s rule book and ask your veterinarian; requirements differ by state and by show.

Daily health checks. K-State suggests checking every day for coughing, a rough hair coat, a pig that will not stand or will not eat. Parasites, digestive disease that causes diarrhea, respiratory disease and sunburn are the common problems in the Colorado State guide. Diarrhea that persists, labored breathing or a pig that goes off feed in the heat needs a veterinarian, not a wait-and-see.

Biosecurity before, during and after the fair

A fair puts pigs from many farms in one barn, which is how diseases move. Two kinds of risk matter.

Flu between pigs and people. Influenza viruses that normally infect pigs occasionally infect people, often after contact with pigs at agricultural fairs; CDC calls these variant influenza infections. CDC’s advice on preventing flu spread between pigs and people is practical: wash your hands with soap and running water before and after being around pigs, do not eat, drink or put anything in your mouth in areas with pigs, do not bring toys, pacifiers, cups or strollers into pig areas, and avoid direct contact with pigs known or suspected to be sick. CDC also says people at increased risk of severe flu complications should avoid exposure to pigs. If your pig seems sick at the fair, tell your swine superintendent and call a veterinarian. CDC and state partners also maintain measures to minimize influenza spread at swine exhibitions for fair organizers, youth leaders and exhibitors.

Disease coming home. University of Minnesota Extension recommends isolating new or returning pigs away from the home herd for 14 to 30 days, caring for them last each day, cleaning and disinfecting sorting boards, show equipment and anything else that touched pigs, and changing clothes and boots before you go back to pigs at home. University of Missouri Extension advises at least two weeks of separation, washing the trailer, and bringing nothing home from the fair that does not need to come home. It also points out that terminal shows, where pigs go to harvest rather than back to the farm, avoid the problem entirely. Watch returning pigs for coughing, diarrhea, fever or blisters and call a veterinarian if you see them.

Keeping your show pig’s records on Creatures

A pig project runs on dates and numbers: purchase weight, weigh-ins, feed changes, vaccinations, withdrawal dates and the ID your fair assigns. Most clubs want them in a record book at the end. Creatures is a free place to keep those records on the pig’s own profile as you go, so filling in the record book is copying, not reconstructing. Creatures is a place to keep show records, not to find shows: your fair or club still handles entries.

Start with the free tool, no account. Use the pig weight calculator between scale days. If you also raise your own pigs, the pig gestation calculator works out farrowing dates, and our pig farrowing guide covers the birth.

Give the pig a profile. Add your show pig with its birth date, sex and breed or cross. You can start as a visitor and create a free account when you save. See adding an animal to Creatures.

Log every weigh-in. Add a Physical Measurement record each time. Choose Measured weight for a scale reading and Estimated weight for a tape or calculator reading, and Creatures keeps the two trends apart. On the Records tab, Measurements charts the readings and shows the period change and the average daily gain for the range you pick. Set a goal, for example at least your fair’s minimum weight by weigh-in day, and the goal card tells you whether the pig is on pace once there are enough readings. Track regularly sets up a weigh-in routine. The details are in track weight and growth.

Record health care and withdrawal dates. Add a Vaccination or Medication record for each treatment and put the next dose in the Follow-up Date field to get a reminder. On a Medication record, Expand extra fields lets you enter the label’s withdrawal period in Meat (days); Creatures counts the clear date from the date given and adds a Clear for meat reminder to the pig’s care schedule. You supply the numbers from the label or your veterinarian. See health and medical records and reminders and upcoming care.

Keep the ID and the results. An Identification record holds the ear notch or tag number your fair uses. After the show, open the Records tab, choose Shows & Titles, and add a show result with the show name, date, judge, class and placing; results you add yourself are marked Reported by owner. See adding a show result from another show.

For the wider picture of what to track, read livestock record keeping. Showing other species too? Our guides to showing sheep and goat shows cover how those rings differ.

Frequently asked questions

How much should a show pig weigh?
Your fair decides. Examples from extension guides include 215 to 300 pounds at one Colorado county fair and 230 to 270 pounds for Tennessee’s state market hog show. Read your rule book before you buy.

How much weight does a show pig gain per day?
Usually about 1.5 to 2 pounds a day, with Tennessee giving 1.7 as an average. Genetics, sex, feed, heat and health all move it, so weigh every week or two.

How do I calculate what size pig to buy?
Multiply the days until weigh-in by the expected daily gain, then subtract that from your target weight. That is roughly what the pig should weigh when you buy it.

What do you use to drive a show pig?
A show stick, cane or whip, used with light taps on the side to move the pig forward and on the face to turn it. Carry a brush too.

How long should I keep my pig away from my other pigs after a fair?
Extension guides recommend at least two weeks, and Minnesota gives 14 to 30 days, with returning pigs cared for last each day.

Can I estimate my pig’s weight without a scale?
Yes. Measure heart girth and body length and use a tape formula or the pig weight calculator. Expect an estimate within about 5 to 10 percent, and check with a scale before weigh-in.

Do this next on Creatures

Whether you are feeding your first market hog or raising show pigs for other families, these are the useful next steps. Everything else about pigs is on the Creatures pig page.