Red Wattle Pig: Everything You Need to Know (Facts!)

The Red Wattle pig is among the easiest breeds to raise while providing farmers with a huge amount of profit.

Their tasty meat, fast growth rate, and high FCR make them an ideal choice for many livestock farms and ranchers.

In this article, we provide you with in-depth facts, information, and knowledge about this pig breed so that you can make the most use of them.

What Is A Red Wattle Pig?

Red Wattle hogs are a breed of domestic pig that originated in the US. Their name comes from the unique wattles attached to their necks and their red color.

Their color ranges from slightly blond-red to dark red and pigs also have black spots or patches on their body.

Their hair can be either long & wavy or short & straight, their head and nape of the neck are clean and thin while their nose is tapered and curves slightly and their ears are erect with the tip hanging down.

Origin

The early history of the Red Wattle pig is kind of a blur.

The current breed is descended from animals discovered in East Texas by H. C. Wengler, who introduced the Wengler Red Waddle.

20 years later, Robert Prentice found some other animals, which later became the Timberline Red Wattle line.

He also crossed the Wengler and Timberline together to create the Endow Farm Wattle line.

Red Wattle Pigs’ Characteristics

Red Wattle hogs are famous for their robustness and feeding activity.

Additionally, the sows are amazing mothers and they can litter 10-15 Red Wattle piglets per time while still being able to produce enough milk for their babies.

These pigs forage well, grow fast, and have good disease resistance. They are also mild-tempered and hardy, allowing them to easily adapt to many different climate patterns.

Their active feeding makes them a worthy consideration for outdoor or pasture pig production. Meanwhile, their docile nature is suitable for small-scale and independent farmers.

How Big Do Red Wattle Pigs Get?

Regarding Red Wattle pig size, they can grow to medium or large size. 

The boars can weigh up to 340 kg (750 lbs) while the sows can reach 249 kg (549 lbs). However, there are Red Wattle pigs that are known to weigh 540 kg (1,200 lbs).

Their average height is approximately 4 ft (120 cm). When fully grown, a Red Wattle hog can be 8 ft long and 4 ft high.

Due to their large bodies, Red Wattle pigs are very valuable on the market.

How fast do Red Wattle pigs grow?

The growth rate for Red Wattle pigs is very fast and they are often fully matured at three years old.

They are excellent foragers and actively use food for their growth. If they get enough food, their weight can reach 500 to 700 lbs at the age of 1.5 years.

How long do Red Wattle pigs live?

The average lifespan of a Red Wattle pig is 9 to 15 years.

These pigs will be slaughtered for meat when reaching the standard commercial weight. If raised as a pet, a Red Wattle’s life expectancy can reach 20 years.

Are Red Wattle Pigs Good To Eat?

 

Being one of the best quality pork ever, Red Wattle pork tastes amazing.

Their meat is flavorful, tender, lean, and marbled just like beef, which is why they are sold at very high prices.

These pigs also produce the best kind of bacon, admitted by pork lovers.

There are usually 3 kinds of Red Wattle bacon, including belly bacon, jowl bacon, and cottage bacon. The jowl and cottage are quite rarer.

The jowl bacon carries the most fat and has the most flavor.

The cottage bacon is from the pig’s shoulder, which is meatier with a different texture.

The belly bacon has an adequate combination of fat and meat.

Raising Red Wattle Pigs

Red Wattle pigs are quite easy to raise, and given the right condition, they will produce high-quality meat.

If you use pasture management, they will feed themselves food available on the ground. This costs you little or even nothing.

If you do not have much space to keep the hogs, don’t worry. They can also do well in small spaces.

Thanks to their docile nature, they are a good start for newbie farmers.

What Do They Eat?

Red Wattle pigs are omnivores, which means they can eat a lot of things from both plants and animals. They browse for insects, larvas, and worms on the ground to eat.

Grains, roots, grass, and fruits are also their favorite food.

While browsing for food, they can get essential minerals. Hence, there is no need to give these pigs commercial feed. But, if you feed them corn, they will gain fat faster. 

Fat is not nutritious which can lower the pork’s quality. Hence, for good-quality meat, avoid feeding your pigs too much corn.

How Much Do Red Wattle Pigs Cost?

Generally speaking, a 30-pound piglet can cost about $150.

Breeding boars’ price is about $300 while young sows are around $400.

But, please be aware that Red Wattle hog prices can vary depending on many factors.

Where to buy Red Wattle pigs?

If you intend to buy a Red Wattle pig or are looking for Red Wattle pigs for sale, pay a direct visit to pig farms.

If accessing those farms or ranches is not easy, you can buy them online, but make sure that those websites are reputable.

FAQs

1. How long are Red Wattle pigs pregnant?

The gestation period for Red Wattle pigs is about 114 days, or 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days.

Sows will not be ready for another litter until they are 5 to 7 days post-piglets being weaned.

2. Are Red Wattle pigs endangered?

Due to the rapidly growing commercial pg market in the 19802, Red Wattle pigs are currently on the Threatened list of The Livestock Conservancy.

This pig breed is also listed as critically endangered on the ALBC Conservation Priority List as there are less than 2,000 individual Red Wattle hogs around the world.

3. Are Red Wattle pigs cold hardy?

Yes, Red Wattle pigs are able to withstand a wide variety of climates, including cold weather, and are thus considered cold hardy.

4. How big do Kunekune pigs get?

Kunekune pigs are one of the smallest pig breeds. Sows weigh up to 175 pounds at full grown while males can reach 250+ pounds.

5. What is a blue pig?

A blue pig is a hybrid cross between a white pig and a black pig and the combination of both those hair colors creates the blue color.

More Breed: Hereford Pig Breed

Final words

Red Wattle pigs are ideal candidates for any pig farm as they are easy to raise and have a high Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR). They are also very docile for being kept as pets.

However, their conservation status is Endangered. With this article, we hope that you will have more knowledge about this breed of pig. Together, we can raise and conserve them better.