This is not a book we normally review on Girl Who Reads, but what you may not know is that I was once a hog farmer. It was my 4-H/FFA project starting when I was 13 (my parents had farmed when I was really little but we weren't currently farming). By the time I graduated high school I had a herd of 18 hogs though through the years I had many more between the show markets that I bought and the feeder pigs bred and I sold to consumers. Earlier this year I joined a local chapter of the National Ladies Homestead Gathering. So when I saw Storey's Guide to Raising Pigs on Netgalley I thought it would be interesting to see what was currently going on in the swine world.

It is an excellent resource for the new hog farmer. I would also recommend it to any who has seen the cute pig pictures on social media and thought 'I want one'. This book will give you a real look into the work that must go into working with pigs. Even I was thinking, "Maybe I won't ever go back to livestock raising." (He even touches on potbelly and miniature pigs.)

There is a lot of information in this guide. Klober doesn't assume anything and starts with the very basics, but even experienced hog farmers will find useful information on maintaining and improving their own herd. It is written more as a textbook and with the way it is organized you can easily go to the chapter that you need for the information you want. Within chapters, he often repeats important information that was mentioned in an earlier chapter, but still applies to the topic of the current chapter. That way if you do delve into the middle of the book, say the chapter on selecting breeding stock there will be some information already covered in setting up to raise hogs.

I think the best part was the resources in the appendix. I love templates and there was some for setting up your records. Also, there's a list by month of what other things are happening on the farm so if you are already farming and thinking of adding hogs you can see how they fit into the seasonal workload of a diverse farm.

As a bonus, there are some really great photos included throughout the book. It made me nostalgic for my hog days, particularly when I read the chapter on showing pigs.

Klober definitely demonstrated a breadth of knowledge and depth of experience. This is the 4th edition and he wrote the previous editions. He often mentions historical information on the swine industry to give perspective on where the industry is now and where it might be going.

My only caveat for recommending this as a great resource is if you are outside the midwest you will want to look for a regional supplement. There were a few times that I thought "I don't think that is how it is in the south". Klober occasionally mentions region-specific details, but more often he just states things may be different in regions outside his home region of the Midwest.

Other than that caveat, I think anyone thinking about raising pigs (particularly if you haven't raised livestock before) or is relatively new to raising hogs should pick up this book.

I think it is ironic this book is slated to be released on December 25 when many families will be enjoying their Christmas ham. Or maybe it is perfect timing.

Storey does it again, with its latest edition of Storey's Guide to Raising Pigs, 4th Edition.

What is remarkable about Storey publishing is that they don't just release a book once, but they adapt that book over time to fit the needs of current farmers and livestock owners. I think I have edition 1 and 2 on my shelves, but this book has adopted current concepts in management practices and reformatted the pages to look appealing to the new reader.

Raising Pigs 4th edition looks great. There are highlighted content boxes that really stand out with important and relevant information for the reader.

The sections that really stood out to me are the chapters on The Hog Business, Managing your Hog Business, and also the Day-to-Day Life with Hogs because they are all relevant to the small-scale operation and even for the homesteader. There is something in these chapters for everyone. Every chapter has really great information and advice but for me, these three really stood out as applicable to my small farm operation. We raise AGHA American Guinea Hogs and an important factor in our farm operation is not only food for my family, but also the sale of livestock or breeding or for the table.

There is something in this book for the new pig owner, the 4-H project person, and even the small to large scale producer. That is what captures me about Storey Publishing, is that they consistently create a reference book that has good quality information, that is not so technical that it is hard to understand the information that they are conveying.

If you are into pigs, or just starting out, Storey's Guide to Raising Pigs the 4th Edition is updated and ready for you to check it out and discover something about the hog you didn't know before, or is filled with information that you can adopt in your own practices to increase your profit or productivity.

There are many opinions regarding the proper way to raise pigs for slaughter. I learned quite a bit that I was not aware of as it pertains to the proper way to bring your piggies up, from birth to slaughter. Highly recommended!

#Storey'sGuideToRaisingPigs,4thEdition #NetGalley #Sustainable

An excellent blend between theory and practice. The descriptions are well illustrated and the content is very useful to start raising pigs. A very good references book for people looking to start farming naturally without antibiotics.