Emola Farm sells breeding stock — breeder gilts, boars, and big sows — at our farm in Mabank, Texas. If you are starting a hog operation, replacing a boar, or adding females to a herd you already run, call 903-880-0124 and tell us what you are building.
Breeding stock is the one category we will not sell you sight unseen. Come look at the animal. It is a longer commitment than a feeder pig, and the difference between a good decision and an expensive one is usually visible in person.
The Terms, Plainly
Hog terminology trips up a lot of buyers, and the words are not interchangeable.
- Gilt — a young female that has not yet farrowed a litter. A breeder gilt is one selected and sold specifically to become a producing sow.
- Sow — a female that has had at least one litter. A proven sow is a known quantity in a way a gilt is not.
- Boar — an intact male, kept for breeding.
- Barrow — a castrated male, raised for meat rather than breeding.
When you call, using the right word saves both of us time.
Breeder Gilts
A gilt is where most people start a herd, because she is younger, she has more productive years ahead of her, and she costs less than a proven sow.
What to look at when you are choosing one:
- Underline. Count the teats and look at their spacing and quality on both sides. This is the single most important thing on a breeding female and the thing new buyers most often forget to check.
- Feet and legs. A sow spends her productive life carrying weight. Structural soundness is not cosmetic — a gilt that moves poorly at six months will not hold up through several litters.
- Frame and capacity. Depth of body and room to carry a litter.
- Temperament. You will be handling this animal around young pigs. A nasty gilt becomes a dangerous sow.
Boars
A boar influences every pig born on your place, which is why he deserves more thought than he usually gets.
- Match him to your females. Buy the boar that corrects what your gilts and sows are short on, not the one that repeats it.
- Soundness first. A boar that cannot move well cannot breed well.
- Temperament matters more here than anywhere. A mature boar is a large, strong animal. Handle him with respect and buy one that can be handled at all.
- Plan your pens before he arrives. Boars need stouter fencing and their own space. Build for it in advance.
Big Sows
We regularly have big sows on the farm. Buyers take them for two very different reasons — as proven breeding females, or for meat. Tell us which you are after, because it changes which animal we would point you toward.
A proven sow’s advantage is that she has already answered the question a gilt has not: she has raised a litter. If you can find out her history, that information is worth having.
Breeds
The breeds that come through our farm most often are Berkshire, Duroc, Hampshire, and Yorkshire, along with crossbred stock.
For a commercial operation, crossbred females are worth serious consideration. Crossbred sows are widely used because hybrid vigor tends to show up in exactly the traits a hog operation cares about. Registered stock makes more sense if you intend to sell breeding animals yourself.
We handle domestic breeds only. We do not buy or sell wild hogs.
Before You Buy Breeding Stock
- Know what you are building. A few pigs a year for family and friends is a different operation from a herd you intend to sell from, and it calls for different animals.
- Have the pens ready. Farrowing takes different housing than growing. Sort that out before the animals arrive, not after.
- Have a plan for the boar. He needs his own secure space, and he will test whatever you build.
- Come look. Photos are useful for narrowing things down. They are not how you should pick a sow or a boar.
We build fencing, gates, and pens and do custom welding, which for a lot of our breeding-stock buyers is the other half of the job.
Where We Are
Emola Farm, 759 VZ CR 2704, Mabank, Texas 75147 — near Cedar Creek Lake in Van Zandt County, within easy reach of Athens, Canton, Kaufman, Terrell, Corsicana, Tyler, and the Dallas–Fort Worth area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have breeding stock available now?
It varies week to week. Call 903-880-0124 and tell us what you need — we will tell you what is here or what we expect.
What does a breeder gilt or boar cost?
Breeding stock is priced on the individual animal, not off a list. Come look and we will talk price on the animal in front of you.
Are your breeding animals registered?
Ask when you call and we will tell you exactly what the animal is and what paperwork, if any, comes with it.
Do you buy sows and boars?
Yes. We buy and sell livestock continuously. If you have breeding stock to move, call us.
Do you sell wild hogs?
No. Domestic breeds only.