By Don “Doc” Sanders
In the late 1980s a farmer with a small swine operation in Champaign County occasionally called me with a health issue in one or more of his sows. To protect his identity, I am calling him Jack. Sometimes it was a gilt (young but mature female pig) delivering her first litter of pigs. Other times it might be to fix a prolapsed rectum in a grower pig or sometimes in an adult sow.
These swine prolapse cases occur primarily because of feeding moldy corn to the pigs. Other health issues may contribute to this condition, but moldy feed has to be considered the most likely cause.
I enjoyed providing vet service to this farm because the owner I would classify as a unique character. His swine operation consisted of a dozen or so sows and one boar. I might be called to provide veterinary care to the farm once or twice a year or so.
Jack also held a job in town to augment his swine operation’s income although I suspect the pork side of his business barely did more than break even. Jack planned to make his niche in local history by growing his boar to beat the national record for largest boar hog.
I first saw Chief in 1989 while this boar was being pampered at Jack’s farm. Jack was shooting for the appointed largest boar in the world recognized by Guinness World Records.
Jack had done his due diligence. He had purchased a large-framed Poland China boar a couple of years earlier. If readers are unfamiliar with the breed, these pigs have a black body with a white muzzle and forehead, four white feet with a blotch of white on their tail.
Jack recognized that Chief had the potential size to win the big boar contest. Chief weighed at just a little over 1,000 pounds.
Even though I have significant swine nutrition experience, Jack did not collaborate with me. This was not an issue for me because of the circumstances. Plus, Jack’s program was geared towards Chief getting heavier rather than more muscling.
I would classify Chief’s diet as not economically feasible for the average swine herd. He was not picky about his beer. He drank them all with gusto …Pabst Blue Ribbon, Bush, Budweiser, and Yuengling. The breweries provided the beer for free. Champaign Landmark feed mill supplied the feed.
Chief was the world champion in 1988, champion at the Indiana state fair and won the Buckeye Big Boar award at the Ohio State Fair in 1986, 1987, and 1989. Chief’s ultimate award was being a guest on late night television with David Letterman. It was quite an event with Letterman fawning over Chief. Chief ultimately made the Guinness record by being appointed as the largest boar the in world.