Having children is certainly a life-altering experience but few parents make the extreme career and lifestyle changes Lorraine and Brendon Hogan have done.

Just a few years back the couple were living in Auckland where Brendon was a soft wear developer and Lorraine a nurse. Today they and their sons Cooper, age four, and Sheldon, age six, are free-range pig farmers near Paengaroa.

Sows give birth in A-frame shelters placed in the paddocks at Highcrest Free Range.

Free range
“Our pigs are truly free-range, not kept indoors at all, but have the freedom to move about outside, or go into their shelters as and when they wish.

“The sows give birth in the shelters provided, but on occasion they have birthed outdoors and we have had to bring shelters to the sow to keep the piglets safe and warm.”            
The Highcrest property is rolling to steep, and while the paddocks are a little big for pigs, Brendon uses electric fences to control their grazing, with plans to install permanent fencing in future.

“Pigs do well on grass, supplemented by other foods, and they seem to enjoy the steeper parts of the farm, which I think helps keep them fit.”

The breeding stock is bought from PIC Pigs. The sows are Landrace Large whites and the boar is a Hampshire-Pietrain-cross, selected for its attributes which include lean, well-muscled meat and fast growth.

“The Landrace sows are great mothers and generally have 14 to 18 piglets in a litter, raising 12 to 14 of them to weaning. We often hand-rear the runts who might not otherwise survive.”

Weaner pigs
Sows can accidently stand or lie on their piglets, so they have A-frame shelters, the shape of which gives the piglets room to get away from their mother.  A sow can have two to three litters a year and will continue to breed effectively for five or more years.

Piglets are weaned at six weeks and Brendon gives them skim milk for the first few weeks to help the weaning process, and improve their gut health.

“We have a good market for our weaner pigs too, as people know our pigs are healthy and will grow well. Sometimes we have more demand than we can meet but regular customers are happy to go on a waiting list.”

Once the pigs are old enough to begin grazing, Brendon inserts rings in their noses to stop them rooting up pasture. In addition to grass they and the breeding pigs, enjoy a mixed diet which includes food Brendon collects three times a week from restaurants, which is cooked up in a large stainless steel, gas-fired cooker.



Cooked food
“All food like this must be cooked before being fed to pigs to stop the spread of disease.” Ground maize, canola, and a mix of vitamin and minerals are added and in the last three to four weeks of their lives, the pigs are fed almost exclusively on fruit and vegetables which Brendon believes adds to the flavour of the meat.

Keeping the herd disease-free is vital.  “The biggest threats to the health of the herd are from parvovirus, leptospirosis and erysipelas and we use a vaccine called Lepto-Eryvac. We also give the young pigs a five-in-one vaccine, and there is a withholding period of course before they are slaughtered.” The pigs are also dosed for worms.

Each week Brendon takes a small number of pigs to an Auckland abattoir and the meat is cut, processed and packaged to his requirements by a Tauranga butcher.

Lorraine and Brendon Hogan of Highcrest Free Range retailing free range pork at the Tauranga Farmer’s Market.

Farmers market
Late last year Lorraine and Brendon gained approval to sell their pork products at the Tauranga Farmers Market, where they enjoy meeting customers and talking about their pigs and their products.

“Our most popular products are sausages and bacon. We are developing some of our own sausage recipes and our cranberry and macadamia nut sausages are really popular.”

With plans to increase the number of breeding sows, Highcrest Free Range will eventually produce more meat than can be sold through the farmers’ market so Brendon has developed a website for online sales which brings with it the opportunity to reach more customers throughout the North Island.

Life is busy but Brendon and Lorraine have no regrets about their change of lifestyle and Sheldon and Cooper love the farm – especially the pigs.

Cooper, (4), and Sheldon, (6) with their dad Brendon Hogan offer Tauranga Farmer’s Market customers a chance to sample sausages from their free-range pigs.

Photos by Chris Callinan