May 21, 2009 - For more than 40 years Sallie, 65, and Russell Williams, 67, have been raising hogs with the help of their three children Mark, Monica and Matt.
“Sallie and I were raised in El Paso. We married out of high school, had three children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandsons, so far,” said Russell Williams, owner of W-W Hog Farms in Graham. “In 1969, we began our family-operated, 100-sow, farrow-to-finish operation with our children in Clint. Our first sow was given to us by my uncle, and we were hooked.”
After getting the swing of their new business, the Williams family decide to pick up their operation and expand.
“In 1975, we moved to Deming, NM, to increase our operation to 250 sows, farrow-to-finish,” said Williams. “We also farmed milo and alfalfa on 640 acres, with help from our children. We shipped our finished hogs to Arizona and California. Then, in 1982, we contracted pseudo-rabies from a spot boar that we purchased at a swine conference in Lubbock. The disease completley wiped out our herd.”
When it came time to start over, Williams and his family decided to return to Texas.
“In the summer of 1982, we moved to our 77-acre farm in Young County to start over with a 100-sow farrow-to-finish operation,” recalled Williams. “All our present facilities were built with the help of our sons, Mark and Matt.”
Today, W-W’s facilities include a 10-crate farrowing barn with an eight-pen nursery. In addition, they have built a 10-crate farrowing overflow barn. It’s all finished off with a 20-pen indoor show pig barn.
Previously, hogs were marketed and sold in Abilene and San Antonio.
“When the processing plants closed and it became difficult to market our hogs, we downsized to 50 sows and converted to a show pig operation,” explained Williams
W-W Hog Farms now raise Chesterwhite, Yorkshire, Crossbred, Duroc and Hampshire show pigs.
“My wife and I own and operate the farm, but our son Matt helps out as much as he can,” said Williams. “Matt, his wife Staci, and their daughters, Cayla, Cara, and Christa also live on the farm. Matt helps when he is not working at his job in town. Matt and the girls are a lot of help. Cayla works in the farrowing barn, and all three love to help sell show pigs, as well as take care of their show pigs in the show pig barn.”
Though his son maintains a second job, raising pigs has been Williams’ primary source of income for several years.
“Raising pigs and farming has been my primary occupation since our move to New Mexico,” he said. “My daily routine consists of feeding, breeding and doing what is necessary to maintain a healthy herd by vaccinating, de-worming, etc. I do all the maintenance, with help from Matt. Of course there is always plenty of pen cleaning to do as well. I also spend some time on the tractor keeping the farm in shape.”
Williams has found a great deal of success in his industry.
“In 2000, with Sallie’s help, I started the web site TexasShowPigs.com,” he noted. “It serves as a way for small show pig breeders in Texas to showcase their herds and make it easier for buyers to locate them. There are also related businesses and a bulletin board where they can communicate with others in the industry.”
The website is a tool that has helped the farm overcome some of the obstacles they face as a show pig breeder. In recent years, according to Williams, raising pigs and making a profit has become a challenge.
“Our biggest challenge in today’s economy has been selling pigs,” Williams said. “Many people are shopping for their show pigs closer to home because of the high fuel prices. Of course, the high price of feed and supplies has forced us to be more efficient as well, which I guess is a good thing.”
Despite the challenges, Williams is content with the accomplishments of his operation.
“We have achieved much in our 40 years raising hogs,” recalled Williams. “The lifestyle and time with family cannot be topped. We have been lucky to have sold pigs that have been champions in county and major shows throughout the state and in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, California and Oregon. We feel the consistency of the pigs we raise is our greatest achievement. We have had at least one champion at a major show every year since 1994, in addition to numerous county show champions.”
Good customer service, he said, sets W-W Hog Farm apart from other operations.
“We set ourselves apart from other operations by our willingness to support our buyers by answering questions and giving advice when needed,” added Williams. “We try to be available whenever they call and truly enjoy working with kids. I believe that has contributed to our continuing to have repeat customers. We also make pigs available for 4-H, FFA and college judging teams to practice their skills.”
Williams and his wife have bright plans for the future.
“In the near future, we are planning to continue to raise pigs, as long as we are able,” said Williams. “We also plan to attend as many pig shows as possible with our granddaughters. Any spare time will be spent with our new great-grandsons.”
For more information go to www.TexasShowPigs.com .
