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Author Topic: New to pigs- wild boar weaners? plus a few questions  (Read 6286 times)

Fieldfare

  • Joined Feb 2011
New to pigs- wild boar weaners? plus a few questions
« on: April 17, 2011, 12:53:07 am »
Hi all- apologies for the random nature of this post- I'm just putting feelers out in the direction of pigs. Possibly thinking about getting a couple of wild boar weaners- any thoughts? Totally new to pigs- so maybe these are not the best to start with? Would 3 strands of electric wire keep them in? (or more docile breeds). I have about 1 acre that I would love to completely de-dock and I was thinking a pig 'tractor' would do a fair job?

Also if one puts pigs on good pasture would they totally wreck it? I have 7 acres- could I move them around it and still keep it good for cows followed by sheep?

On pasture how much feed does one need to offer? (presuming I can continually move onto fresh grass while I fatten them up)

cheers,







HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: New to pigs- wild boar weaners? plus a few questions
« Reply #1 on: April 17, 2011, 01:16:24 am »
This is only my opinion, but I wouldn't advise a novice to take on wild boar  :(
They're mental  :o and definately NOT the easiest or nicest to keep. You need to have a dangerous animal licence and much more by way of fencing than 3 strands of electric - I'd always go for tape rather than wire too - it's easier for them to see.
Something floppy eared is likely to be a much more docile pig and ideally suited to a newbie  ;) Something like a Gloucester Old spot, Oxford Sandy & Black or British Lop would be a much better choice and they would be fine with just 2 strands of tape. If you've got an acre that needs rotivated, probably 5 or 6 weaners would be needed to turn that over in the length of time it takes to get to slaughter weight, or split it into smaller sections and move them round as they clear it. They will effectively plow, fertilise and get rid of all the roots for you - but they will trash the ground  :( Given 6 months to a year it will recover though and should be fine for cattle/sheep.
Kune Kunes (my fav pigs  ;D) will do well on grass and graze rather than root, if you were keeping them they would only need around 1lb of food each per day, plenty of grass and a bit of fruit and veg to keep them happy, healthy and fatten for slaughter. But they do tend to be 8-10 months old before they're ready for slaughter because they are quite a small pig. For all other breeds of pig you're looking at 1lb of food per month of age every day up to a maximum of 6lb per day, so starting with weaners around 8-10 weeks old they'd need 2 - 3 lbs of food each per day (split into 2 or 3 feeds)
Best thing I would recommend is to find someone locally who keeps pigs and go along and talk to them, most of us are only too happy to show off our piggies  ;D ;D ;D What area are you in ? Someone here might be able to help you.
Hope that helps,
Karen  :wave:

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: New to pigs- wild boar weaners? plus a few questions
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2011, 10:36:52 am »
My friends feed their pigs reduced feed on grass, I dont.  The difference at slaughter is very noticeable.  Feed 2 kgs per pig p er day in 2 meals for good pork at 25 weeks.   I would avoid wild boar or even w.b. crosses they can be very skittish.  If you have the choice go for lop eared pigs, GOS being my preferred pig.  As HH says tape rather than wire, small paddocks and frequent moving to new grazing is preferrable. 


loosey

  • Joined May 2010
  • Cornwall
Re: New to pigs- wild boar weaners? plus a few questions
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2011, 09:32:44 am »
I love the idea of keeping wild boar in our woods, but they'd be properly wild and I'm not sure about the logistics of getting them caught and loaded up at the end  :-\. I'd be far too terrified to do anything with them ... I'm much happied having a snooze in the paddock with my floppy eared, fat ones! ;D

princesspiggy

  • Guest
Re: New to pigs- wild boar weaners? plus a few questions
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2011, 09:58:25 am »
is this a wind up?  ;) ;)
u need a license to keep wild boar, and fencing needs to be underground aswell and up high. id spend a few years with weaners of different breeds to get experience first. cows and sheep need good grass, unless it was old land that needed reseeded and rolled anyway, i wudnt put pigs before cattle etc.

Fowgill Farm

  • Joined Feb 2009
Re: New to pigs- wild boar weaners? plus a few questions
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2011, 10:11:40 am »
Fieldfare

Check this website http://www.calu.bangor.ac.uk/Technical%20leaflets/040901%20wildboar.pdf
also http://www.britishwildboar.org.uk/index.htm?breeding.htm
It gives you all the gen on what you would need to do.

I would never encourage beginners to keep wild boar even someone very experienced with pigs would not take their keeping lightly.

Start with a few rare breed weaners to fatten and go from there.

Best Mandy  :pig:

Fieldfare

  • Joined Feb 2011
Re: New to pigs- wild boar weaners? plus a few questions
« Reply #6 on: April 19, 2011, 01:08:05 pm »
Hi folks- no this wasn't a wind-up  :D Thanks for the advice. It sounds like wild boar really are not a good idea for a total beginnner and with my need for basic electric fencing options! (pity because they are quite pretty). Anyway I'll be back with some more questions when I have digested your advice. Don't suppose anyone in Sheffield or Peak district is on here?

cheers

oaklandspigs

  • Joined Nov 2009
  • East Sussex
    • OaklandsPigs
Re: New to pigs- wild boar weaners? plus a few questions
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2011, 07:04:32 pm »
If you're after "quite pretty" then Oxford Sandy & Black are very attractive, and there's always tamworths as an option.

Then Large Black... Middle White..Saddleback...GOS...Kune Kune...Large White...Welsh...Hampshire...Berkshire...and some I've missed !!
www.Oaklandspigs.co.uk
"Perfect Pigs" the complete guide to keeping pigs; One Day Pig Courses in South East;
Weaners for sale - Visit our site for details

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: New to pigs- wild boar weaners? plus a few questions
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2011, 06:59:25 am »
IMHO (and the closest I get to wild boar is chasing them out of the fields) if you find wild boar pretty, go for tamworths.  Lovely pigs, attractive colour, great eating, and more lively than my preferred gossies.

princesspiggy

  • Guest
Re: New to pigs- wild boar weaners? plus a few questions
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2011, 11:16:13 am »
our first ever pigs were tamworths, were quite lively for beginners, mainly round feeding time but we love their characters. we love the fact they come running when u call them. we couldnt imagine a pig that never moved alday. our gos weaners are still lively but in a more humourous way and definately easier to handle. but alot depends on how the breeding stock and piglets are handled and housed too.
goodluck...remember u can always eat them and change breeds next year. everyone starts from the same point.  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

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