USGOS, PO Box 52, West Plains, MO (2026)

06/18/2026

🐖 Why We Say No to Farrowing Crates 🐖

Imagine spending weeks in a space so tight you can’t even turn around or stretch your legs. For many mother pigs (sows) in the commercial farming industry, this is their reality.

What is a farrowing crate?

It’s a metal enclosure used to house a sow just before she gives birth and throughout the nursing period. While originally designed to keep mothers from accidentally stepping on their piglets, the reality is much harsher.

Here is why we do not approve of or use them:

Extreme Confinement: A sow can weigh hundreds of pounds, yet these crates are barely bigger than her body. She can only stand up and lie down. She can't turn around, walk, or interact naturally with her babies.

Frustrated Instincts: Pigs are incredibly smart, clean, and highly maternal animals. Just before giving birth, a sow has a powerful instinct to build a nest for her piglets. Crates completely prevent this, causing immense psychological stress.

Physical Strain: Weeks of immobility lead to sores, weakened bones, and muscle waste.

Better Alternatives Exist: Higher-welfare systems—like free-farrowing pens or outdoor hutches—give moms the space to move, nest, and turn around while still keeping piglets safe.

We believe that farming with compassion means respecting the basic nature of the animals in our care. Every mother deserves the room to stretch, nurture, and just be a pig.

❤️ Agree? Let’s raise the bar for animal welfare together. Share this post to help spread awareness!

06/16/2026

🐷 Quick Tip Tuesday: 📸 Spot the Difference! 🖤🤍

Quick breed standard check! When you picture a Gloucestershire Old Spot, don't picture a pink pig.

True GOS pigs are a beautiful, clean white with distinct black spots. They must have at least one clear spot to be registered, and their historic nickname "The Orchard Pig" comes from the old tale that their spots were caused by bruises from falling apples in the English cider orchards! 🍏

06/16/2026

Why we swear by probiotics for our Gloucestershire Old Spots ✨

Raising a heritage breed like the GOS means focusing on slow, natural growth and robust health. Because they are natural grazers, keeping their digestive system balanced is key to their overall well-being.

Here is why probiotics are a game-changer for the herd:

1️⃣ Better Digestion & Feed Efficiency: Probiotics break down tough plant fibers and grains, ensuring the pigs actually absorb all the vitamins and minerals they consume.

2️⃣ Sow & Piglet Support: For our breeding sows, probiotics boost milk production and transfer immunity straight to the piglets, giving the little ones the best start in life.

3️⃣ Natural Protection: A healthy gut microbiome crowds out bad bacteria, meaning fewer tummy upsets.

🥛 Keeping it natural with Yogurt & Kefir!

Did you know you don't just have to buy expensive commercial powders? Gloucestershire Old Spots have a long history as "dairy pigs," and they absolutely thrive on fermented dairy.

We love mixing plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt or homemade milk kefir right into their feed. It’s packed with live, active cultures like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium that soothe their bellies and make their coats shine. Plus—they think it’s an absolute treat! 😋

06/14/2026

Sunday funny! 😆

06/13/2026

💙 The Power of Blue: Why Every Pig Owner Needs Blu-Kote!

If you’ve raised pigs for more than five minutes, you already know they can be rough, tumble, and occasionally a bit too interested in each other's minor scratches. This is one reason why you need Blue-Kote (or Blu-Kote)—the ultimate barnyard lifesaver that leaves everything it touches a bright, unmistakable shade of electric blue.

Here is a quick breakdown of why this stuff is a staple in the pig pen, and how to use it without turning your entire farm blue.

🤔 Why Use It on Pigs?

Pigs are notoriously opportunistic. If one pig gets a small scratch or nick, the others will often spot the red blood and start biting or rooting at the injury (tail biting or ear chewing can escalate fast).

The Disguise: Blue-Kote is an antiseptic spray or liquid that seals and protects the wound. More importantly, it dyes the area bright blue, hiding the red color from curious pen-mates. No red means no target!

The Protection: It contains antiseptic and antifungal properties, helping minor scrapes, rain rot, or surface wounds heal cleanly in a muddy environment.

🧼 Pro-Tips for Application

Clean the Wound First: Spraying Blue-Kote over caked-on mud won't do much good. Hose or wipe down the area quickly if you can.

Wear Gloves (Seriously): If you spray against the wind, you will have blue hands, blue clothes, and a blue face for a week. Wear old clothes and disposable gloves.

Keep It Away from Eyes and Open Cavities: It’s great for surface scratches, castrations, or tail nicks, but keep it far away from deep puncture wounds, eyes, or mucous membranes.

Be Mindful of Market Dates: If you are raising show pigs or market hogs nearing their processing date, check local regulations or withdrawal advice. The blue dye can stain the skin/hide for a long time, which isn't ideal right before a show or processing.

The Golden Rule: If your pig doesn't look like a Smurf by the time you're done, did you even really doctor them? 🎨

Do you use Blue-Kote on your farm? Share your experiences below! 👇

06/12/2026

🌾 The Pasture Myth: Why Your Pigs Aren’t Cattle 🌾

We love seeing our Gloucestershire Old Spots out on pasture. They are incredible foragers and famously kind to the land with their gentle surface rooting.

But there’s a big misconception we need to clear up: Pigs are NOT ruminants!

❌ The Myth: "They are great pasture pigs, so they can live 100% on just grass!"

💡 The Fact: Pigs are monogastric omnivores. Unlike cows or goats, they have a single-chambered stomach (just like humans) and cannot break down plant cellulose into total nutrition. While an Old Spot gets amazing vitamins and fiber from grazing, they should never be fed just grass.

To raise healthy heritage hogs with excellent structural soundness and premium marbling, pasture must be balanced with a high-quality grain ration, proper protein, or healthy finishes like flaxseed.

06/11/2026

Caring for the Gloucestershire Old Spot’s Unique Coat ✨

Famous for their floppy ears and docile personalities, Gloucestershire Old Spots (GOS) are an absolute favorite for homesteaders. But because they are predominantly white, their fair skin requires a little extra care to stay healthy and comfortable!

Here are 4 quick tips to keep your spotted friends glowing from the inside out:

1. Maintain a Mud Wallow (Natural Sunscreen): Pigs can't sweat, and fair-skinned Old Spots burn easily. A deep mud wallow provides vital cooling and a natural shield against UV rays and bugs.

2. Nourish from the Inside: Dry, flaky skin is often a nutritional gap. Add a splash of healthy fats (like coconut oil or animal lard) to their feed, and ensure they get adequate Zinc and Vitamin E.

3. Don’t Over-Bathe: Frequent soaping strips the natural oils right out of their skin, leading to intense itching and cracking. For daily cooling, stick to plain water hosed over the back.

4. Keep Night Bedding Dry: Wet, dirty bedding breeds lice, mites, and causes painful urine scald. Ensure their shelter has plenty of fresh, dry straw or shavings to sleep on.

A clean shelter, a muddy wallow, and a little extra skin TLC are all it takes to keep these gentle giants thriving.

Happy pig keeping! 🚜✨

06/11/2026

Spotting the Happiness: Why Gloucestershire Old Spots Love a Good Drizzle 🌧️🐷

Since they don't have functional sweat glands, a cool rain shower is basically a natural spa day for them!

Here is how our four-legged friends handle the wet weather:

🌧️ The Drizzle: Perfect Foraging Weather!
When a gentle rain starts, you'll often see pigs choose to stay right outside. Not only does it cool them down, but the rain softens the top layer of soil. This makes surface rooting incredibly easy and rewarding, letting them effortlessly flip the damp ground to find buried treats, grubs, and fresh roots.

🐗 The Aftermath: Wallow Time!
The real fun begins when the rain stops and leaves behind fresh puddles. Pigs will eagerly dive in to create or refresh a mud wallow. Caking themselves in wet mud provides two major benefits:

Natural Sunscreen & Bug Spray: As the mud dries, it forms a thick barrier that protects their skin from sunburns and biting insects.

Built-in Air Conditioning: Because they can't sweat, evaporating moisture from the wet mud layer is how they safely regulate their body temperature.

⛈️ The Limit: Heavy Downpours
While they love a gentle shower, they definitely have their limits! Pigs will quickly head for the barn or a field shelter if a storm brings driving, heavy downpours that sting their ears, or cold, biting winds that cause a chill.

But a warm, gentle summer shower? It's a pig's paradise!

👇 Does your herd love the rain, or do they run for the barn at the first drop? Let us know in the comments!

06/09/2026

Registry Update: Pedigrees are in the Mail! 📬

Attention USGOS Breeders and Members: Keep an eye on your mailboxes! A major batch of official USGOS pedigrees and registration certificates has just been processed, printed, and mailed out to our members nationwide!

As a registry, mailing out a large wave of paperwork is always an exciting milestone. It represents hours of careful record-keeping by you, our dedicated breeders, and a growing footprint for the breed we all love.

But these documents are far more than just paper—they are the literal lifeline for the Gloucestershire Old Spot pig.

Why Registration is the Backbone of GOS Preservation 📜

When we lose track of bloodlines, we risk losing the breed itself. Every single pedigree issued by the USGOS Pig Society serves a vital purpose in our collective preservation mission:

Securing Genetic Diversity: With a heritage breed, maintaining a closed gene pool requires absolute precision. Accurate pedigree tracking allows breeders to make informed, strategic mating decisions to avoid inbreeding depression and preserve distinct family lines.

Protecting Breed Integrity: A verified pedigree guarantees the authenticity of your stock. It ensures that future generations maintain the docility, excellent mothering abilities, and unique physical traits that make the Old Spot so special.

A Roadmap for Sustainability: By officializing your herd's lineage, you are elevating the value of your stock and contributing to a nationwide network of transparent, dedicated stewards.

Every registration counts. Your commitment to documentation is what keeps this historic breed moving forward.

Thank you to our breeders nationwide for your unwavering commitment to breed standards and the critical mission of heritage preservation.

👉 If you have pending registrations or transfer paperwork to submit, you can always find the necessary forms in the members area of our website - www.usgospigs.com.

06/08/2026

🩺 What Does It Mean When a Pig Throws Up?

Because pigs have a single-chambered stomach, they can vomit relatively easily. While a one-time incident might just mean they devoured their food too fast, frequent vomiting is a major warning sign.

Here is what might be going on:

Dietary Upset: Eating too fast, gorging on feed, consuming moldy grain, or foraging on toxic pasture weeds.

Gastric Ulcers: Very common in pigs. Look for a loss of appetite, pale skin/gums (anemia), and dark, tarry stool.

Internal Parasites: Severe roundworm infestations can cause blockages and stomach irritation. Often accompanied by coughing or a potbellied appearance.

Infectious Diseases: Viruses like TGE/PEDv or bacterial infections like Salmonella can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea. If multiple pigs are sick, isolate them immediately.

📋 Action Plan: What to Do Next

Take a Temperature: A normal re**al temp is 101.5°F to 102.5°F. A high fever usually points to an infection rather than a simple food issue.

Isolate & Monitor: Separate the pig to monitor its hydration and protect the rest of the herd.

Check Feed & Pasture: Inspect feed bins for mold and check paddocks for toxic plants.

Call the Vet: If vomiting is accompanied by a high fever, bloody stool, severe lethargy, or if it's affecting young piglets, call your vet right away. Dehydration happens fast!

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